Chronicles of Fate: Evolution of a Species
by DJTiki
Summary: Fate is forever eternal... forever evolving... no two lives are the same. All life ends and begins anew. A cycle of death and rebirth. As destiny has chosen, the lives of many will be forced to change when humans become an extinct species. Only Pokémon inhabits this ruined age of living. So the question begs… when the world is at its most fragile, who will lead and preserve it?
1. Table of Contents and Opening Statements

**What You Need To Know**

**Because I honestly grew sick of censoring things for the sake of a rating of T, this story is now Rated M for the following:**

**\- Blood and Gore**  
**\- Strong Violence**  
**\- Adult Langauge**  
**\- Mature Themes**  
**\- Sexual Content (_Possible_ Lemons)**

**Emphasis on the "Possible" part. There are no lemons as of Chapter 13 of writing this. However, it is not outside the realm of possibility. But this is NOT a lemon story. Please note that this story is heavily tied to the other installments in the Chronicles of Fate series. Though knowledge on those stories are not required at an entry level, eventually, knowledge on the stories will be helpful to you and I. If you enjoy reading stories from the perspective of a Pokémon, akin to the PMD series- read on! Maybe drop a review or two. But if not, then this may not be your cup of tea :)**

**First chapter starts on the third entry of the series. With that said, ENJOY :)**

* * *

**Table Of Contents**

* * *

**Prelude: A Grand Tale Begins...**

* * *

_**The Grand Tale** (A Journal Entry)_

_**Chapter 1**: Bandits of Aquacorde_

_**Chapter 2**: The Human Researcher_

_**Chapter 3**: Ecruteak and Other Things_

_**Chapter 4**: One Last Job_

_**Chapter 5**: Clipped Wings_

* * *

**Season I, Arc I: A Junkyard Full of Secrets**

* * *

_**Chapter 6**: The Junkyard_

_**Post-Extinction**: The Council_

_**Chapter 7**: The Morning After_

_**Chapter 8**: Sibling Care_

_**Chapter 9**: Illusion of Seperation_

_**Special Episode:** Two Blades_

_**Chapter 10**: Shadows In The Light_

_**Chapter 11**: The End Is Never The End_

_**Interlude**: Like Day, Like Night_

* * *

**Season I, Arc II: From Thieves To Soldiers**

* * *

_**Chapter 12**__: Liberty Base_

_**Post-Extinction**: Phantasma Syndicate_

_**Chapter 13**: A Soldier's Mark_

* * *

_More to be added..._


	2. The Grand Tale

_To whomever this may concern,_

_**Congratulations**! You found my journal. That's outstanding for someone of your kind. If you can read these words and deduce the meaning behind these sentences, then I'm sure that your kind has grown far more intelligent over the years. How's life treating you? Anything odd?_

_Oh, how I wish to know. And how I wish to shake your fine hand._

_But if you are reading this, then you would also know that we're not around anymore. You do know, right? I eagerly wish that you have, but I wouldn't be surprised if our kind is only a story- a myth to tell around the campfire, every now and then. Therefore, I should introduce the type of person, I am. So, here goes nothing._

_**I am a human**._

_A walking, sitting, breathing, and ever-evolving kind-of species. We come in different flavors, just as Pokémon do. From our skin colorization, to our personalities, to what and how we wear on the daily basis. It's hard to imagine us, isn't it? You haven't seen a live one- nor do I think you ever will._

_It's not that different from Pokémon, you see. We adapt to new environments and accustom to them. Play, eat, laugh, argue, love, care, share, and all of those neat, little things we call "Joy". You and I, would probably be good friends._

_But you see... We're all dead._

_All of us..._

_Well... not yet._

_At the time of writing this, our population numbers are depleting and fast. Each and every one of us are dying out- leaving this world. Funny, this world around me used to be so beautiful and now look at it: Empty and destroyed with everyone on a rampage. But hey, maybe time has healed these wounds of ours- MAYBE, this world is beautiful, again._

_But what am I getting myself riled up, for?_

_All of this is my fault._

_Yes. Everything happening at this point, in time, is my fault. My responsibility to take- MY world that I can only watch, as it crumbles in my grasp. In that regard, I'm a monster._

_There was nothing I could ever do._

_Until I received a premonition dream of some sort, from a Pokémon. It called out to my name. I assume it was legendary, but who knows, anymore? I honestly wouldn't care, anymore._

_I was told in that dream to not let our legend die._

_At first, I came to terms that it was them, taunting me at my foul state._

_But, then I thought it over..._

_And thus my research began. I cannot allow the Pokémon to fall under my mistakes. They are my pride and joy. Nothing can take them away from me. So please... I beg of you, on my knees and my aching wrist growing more and more weary as I write these words..._

_You must survive on, as the world's version of humans._

_We cannot fill this position, anymore. **Carry us on.**_

_Everyone thinks I'm a monster and that's there's nothing left for me to do. But why should I conform to that? No. I won't do it. I cannot bring myself to. Even if I'm destroyed, this information is vital to your survival in this apocalyptic state of destruction._

_I'm writing this on my own, synthetic paper. It has no exploitable vulnerabilities to ice, fire, and degradation._

_So I urge you, **DO NOT LET MY RESEARCH DOWN!** In this journal is an account of everything that was prepared for you, Pokémon species..._

_All Seven-Hundred and Twenty-Two of them._

_This isn't my journal. It's **EVERYONES'**__. Use this information to your advantage. Don't let my will die. Don't die as a species. You must evolve. Become stronger. More intelligent. More durable. Everything I've seen in the species of Pokémon and** not** in humans._

_We were meant to die off._

_You were meant to live on. Natural selection, at its most ironic._

_If you've gotten this far, then you have a cognitive reading talent for the human language. Everything in this journal is not the account of what humans did. This isn't a record of the tragedies of the humans, nor is it me sulking about my life and the people who have grown to hate me..._

_This isn't an account of my biggest blunders..._

_**But my greatest successes**._

* * *

_So I urge you. Turn the page of my grand and final tale..._

_**An Evolution of a Species.**_

_Truly yours and forever until the end of time,_

**_A._**


	3. Chapter 1: The Bandits of Aquacorde

_**A/N: Ello! Welcome to this new story. This is a rewrite of a (hilariously) awful fanfiction I did about a half a year ago, without anything that resembles the original story (it's for the better, trust me). I decided to come back and try again. This is a repost of a story since it was riddled with errors XD. So ENJOY reading. :)**_

* * *

**"Prelude: A Grand Tale Begins..."**

A flaming ball was sent hurtling across the floor, as the ruined wood beneath it was burned to a delicate crisp. The tracks he made was black and the ball slammed into the wall, knocking out any oxygen, the poor thing was holding on to.

It lay there, _helpless..._

Unable to move and unable to fight back.

A shadow from behind the smoke manifested and crept closer and closer to the immobile Pokémon. Its sharp claws were lined with hints of blood. Its claws were itching to finish the job, it started. Nothing could save Sera from disaster. All he could do is sit there and stare.

_Sera's particular species could be identified with Pokémon. More specifically, he was a Quilava. A small rodent sized creature, who was constantly engulfed in flames. He could roll up on wheels and use firepower to his advantage. Well, he once used it to his advantage._

The brown, spiky-haired Pokémon simpered and spoke up to Sera, as he drudges its claws together. The noise made him scream but was a serene tone to Sandslash. His intent to kill was high.

"Do you really believe that you can intrude this place and get what you desire and then leave?" Sandslash laughed and continually unnerved Sera. That laugh of his was one of true, mental instability, "No...no..no, thieves like you..."

Sandslash pointed its claws and sliced through the air, preparing to end Sera 's poor life. _"It can't end like this... but I can't move.."_ Sera thought.

**"SHOULD BE PUT IN THEIR PLACE!"** Sandslash's carved its metal hand through the air, as its all rationality and calmness left his face. He had the sudden urge to kill...

_More than anything._

Sera could only sit there, close its eyes, and accept the inevitability that is his death. He cringed and waited for all reality to fade away...

But everything stopped. When Sera peered its eyes towards Sandslash, three piercings were made in its body as three metal claws extended from those holes. Blood oozed from those incisions as it fell over to the floor, coughed up its red substances and died. All that zest and demented attitude were replaced by a chill and unpleasant stillness.

When Sandslash fell over, a black figure towered over Sera and smiled. It had claws, as well. But they extended from their hands like nails and were considerably longer than the late Sandslash's. The claws retreated and it held out its hand.

"I will like mine thank you for letters, in cursive writing and in ink pen, please!" She joked as she grabbed Sera's hand and pulled him up. As much as I don't like to think so, she did save my life. But she is going to hold this over me, forever.

"Can it, Izol! I could've taken care of him, all by myself! Why did you do anything, anyways?!" Sera yelled. The pain from the fight stung his entire body and he could barely stand upright. But he made it on his own feet, much to their surprise.

Izol poked Sera with one of her long nails and laughed at him.

_Izol was a Sneasel. A creature with long claws that extended from her paws. She was cold to the touch, which was accompanied by her sleek finish. Speedy and dangerous. But she had a playful and sarcastic attitude too._

"Are you kidding me? You were totally all like '_Oh, my god! I'm totally gonna die'_. If this was the thanks I was gonna get for savin' your sorry ass, I shoulda have let you died!" Izol mocked, as she shoved him towards the broken window pane. The glass nearly cuts through his open skin. Sera sighed.

"Look, sorry. I appreciate it, but you don't have to go the extra mile. I had him pinned, I tell you!"

"You mean he had YOU pinned. Well, we won't find those Rare Candies from standing around, will we?" Izol peered the facility they were in:

_Red wallpaper._

_Unstable wooden floors._

_Many ruined copper._

_And a dead body._

"What's so great, about this _'Pokémon Mansion'_, anyways?" Sera said, walking over towards Izol, covering his open wounds. Izol walked towards one of the statues and looked hard. She closed one of her eyes.

"I have no idea, but these statues seem pretty suspicious. Plus, people have talked it up for a bit, so who knows. We can score big here!" Izol predicted. She rubbed her hands across one of the broken statues, examining it thoroughly.

She slid her hand across the statue and took on a more depressed expression. She looked over towards the injured Sera, "All of this trouble for a stupid dead end!" Izol clenched her fist and punched the statue. The figure of the statue lit up with piercing, red lights, as the whole building shook like an Earthquake and the two partners couldn't hold their ground.

"_W-w-what-what did you or-p-p-press?!_" Sera was being rocked back and forth, making his current state of health, made worse.

_"I D-D-d-didn't do anything,"_ The statue slid back against the wall and a black hole was uncovered. Izol's imbalance caused her to fall over into the abyss.

"HOLY SHI-" Izol echoed as she fell. The quakes stopped and Sera quickly ran over to the hole, she fell in. His whole body unnerved at the sound of a crash was heard.

"Izol!" Sera shrieked in the dark hole._ Is she dead?_

"Don't worry, a Zubat broke my fall. You should totally come down here!" Izol responded. Nope, she's not dead. Sera nervously approached the hole. He stared down into the empty space and swallowed hard. _Why do I do this to myself?_

Sera jumped in the hole and fell into complete darkness. The chilling sensation of falling was more frightening than landing on the floor itself. It was almost like he had a fear of falling. When he landed on the floor, he could see nothing except Izol and the lit up areas that were created because of the fire that began to burn outside of him.

Izol slapped Sera on his back, "Great thinking, now we can actually see!" Izol looked above her to find purple bats, suspending itself from the ceiling. "Let's scout this place..."

The two Pokémon walked around, creaking the very foundation of the floor, as well as, trying their best to not alert the Zubats with too much noise. Izol tiptoed towards a wall before she left a small bump. She motioned Sera to follow suit.

"Yes! I found it!" Sera stood by Izol's rejoicing. "Okay. Let's open this thing!"

Izol pierced her claw nails into the chest and began to lift the top of the chest. The chest cracked and unfastened, trying its best to contain anything that was inside. It shrieked and twisted. And when the box finally opened, all the two Pokémon can do was smile.

Izol looked at the contents of the treasure chest. She leaped in happiness.

"YES! THIS IS THE RARE CANDIES!" Sera quickly covered Izol's mouth, trying to get her to be quiet.

"You nearly woke up all those Zubat..." Sera whispered. "Shut up!"

"Whoops... Now get your hands off my mouth," Sera took his hands off Izol 's face and peered at the Rare Candies. "This was extremely convenient. I never did anything, as easy before," Izol grabbed one of the candies wrapped in a violet-blue wrapper and showed it to Sera, "To think, mob bosses went out of their way to store their stash, when it counted most!"

Sera closed the chest and grabbed hold of it and grinned, "Well, regardless of how stupid humans were... they did help us make this job easier. So let's get out of here."

Izol extended her claws and approached the westernmost wall. She stabbed the wall and one by one stab, ascended it. "Hurry up, slowpoke!"

Sera dragged the chest towards the wall, Izol was climbing upon. He dropped the chest and peered above.

"A little help would be nice!" Sera asked his hyperactive partner.

Izol looked down below her and relaxed her ascension, hanging on the wall like some sort of monkey. She scratched her head with her claw, "Well, I saved your life, so you can do this for me!" Sera's face grew red, like the sun itself manifested on his face.

"**HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?! I HAD HIM IF YOU DIDN'T INTERRUPT!**" Sera 's anger resonated in the hole, they were unfortunately trapped in. The Zubat's slumber was rudely halted...

And they were quite angry. A swarm of blind, purple bats charged towards the two partners. Izol nodded her head in disapproval.

"Way to go, idiot..." Izol fell back to the ground. "You caused this, so you fix this, Sera," Sera smirked, standing his ground, firmly.

"Pfft, please. This is the least of my worries," Sera 's cheeks grew in size and was ready to attack. He blew off a multitude of flames that burned through the swarm and dispersed them. Flamethrower can burn anything, I don't know what Izol was thinking. When none of the Zubat's remained. Izol grabbed the chest and yanked from Sera's hands.

"If you want a job done right, do it yourself," she mumbled to herself.

The two Pokémon exited the Pokémon Mansion, still in one piece. Of course, they didn't leave empty-handed. They had a large chest with goodies to accompany them. There was a crowd outside, anxiously awaiting their return. When the entourage saw them with the chest, they leaped with joy and cheered their heads off.

"Alright, guys. DIG IN!" Izol shouted victoriously. A bounty of species, from Oddish to Ratatta as to even Tentacools ran over to the chest to feast. Sera was happy, from the turn of events.

There was nothing better than making other people smile. At least in Sera's opinion.

A large kangaroo-like species motioned the two heroes to come over to her position, as everyone was eating. Kangaskhan hugged Izol and Sera.

"You guys did a great job!" Kangaskhan said. "No one that had tried to find that stash, ever returned. All because of that accursed Sandslash!"

Izol grinned and wrapped her arm around Sera's. "Let's just say, you won't have to worry about that guy, anymore. I took care of it" The Quilava blankly stared at his partner. Izol sighed. "Fine... we stopped him... but mostly me."

"You have no idea, how much your help was appreciated. Now the kids won't starve. You've truly made Cinnabar Island, a kinder place. Thank you." Kangaskhan bowed her head before them before she looked towards the children.

"Tell the nice people, thank you!"

All the kids looked at the Sneasel and Quilava. **"THANK YOU, MR. SERA AND MISS. IZOL!"**

Izol looked at them and smiled back. "No problem."

Kangaskhan looked at them and handed them some sort of shiny stone and a nugget. "This is a token of my gratitude. You've earned my trust," Sera took both stones and examined it.

"No. Thank you. We just need a ride to Pallet Town," Sera necessitated. Kangaskhan looked at the sea and looked puzzled.

"Is that all?" She asked.

"Yep. I can swim, but poor little Sera can't!" Izol smacked Sera's back.

"Well, if that really is it, then I'll have Tentacruel take you back. It is the least I can do. You two just hang back, until then" Kangaskhan walked away to tend to the children.

* * *

**Some Time Later...**

The two Pokémon arrived at their destination, Pallet Town. The blades of grass were discolored an eerie brown and yellow. Some could mistake them for being deceased, but dead, they were not. Little was left of this small town. The two red houses, which sat next to each other, had big, gaping holes shot through their roofs. To the front of the ruined housing, was a wider, but shorter building. It was tan, but the foundation was completely destroyed, collapsing everything above it. Pallet Town had been totaled, but time has treated the wounds, with care.

Sera and Izol were arriving at the town from Route 19, a waterway, north of Cinnabar Island. Tentacruel dropped the two Pokémon off at their destination, as Izol took ahold of a heavy black bag and dragged it off its head. Sera hurriedly leaped off the large squid, avoiding any future risks of drowning in the small river. When Izol set foot in the town, she curled up her toes and yawned, feeling the full-force of the wind brushing against her sleek skin.

"That was literally the worst experience of my life. I HATE water," Sera complained, trembling in fear from the water. He stared into Tentacruel's big, buggy eyes. "But thanks. It's appreciated!"

Izol dug into the bag and clenched a handful of Rare Candies, that they have successfully nabbed from earlier. She sprinkled the goodies on top of Tentacruel's head. "Sera's being difficult. Thanks for the ride!"

Tentacruel surfaced his mouth and smiled, "No, thank you. Without your help, we wouldn't have anything to eat. This, at least, buys us some more time!" Tentacruel faced away from his two heroes and swam away, presumably, to Cinnabar Island, once more.

Izol slapped Sera on the back, "**WE'RE BACK!**" Nothing was heard, but the creaking of the house doors. _Is he here? I swear to Arceus if he left..._

Sera laid down on the discolored grass; his fumes, burning a Quilava-sized patch on the ground, "Maybe, he finally got tired of this and ditched us. Especially, if he's around someone like you," Izol sighed, heading to a nearby home and started scratching its surface, sharpening her claw nails.

"If he even decided to ditch us, it'd be because of your anger problems," Sera snapped back in an upright position, frowning. "Oh, whoops. Did I get you mad?"

"I don't have an anger problem!" His flames were burning brighter than when they arrived.

"Says the person, who's yelling," Izol pointed out his contradictory statement. Sera was lost for words, realizing the fallacy in his previous statement. _Here it comes. First, he's going to threaten me_.

"Take that back or I'll blast you into smithereens!" Sera screamed. Izol giggled and practically ignored that threat, going away at the wall.

"No. I'LL SERIOUSLY DO IT, THIS TIME!" And now he's going to make fun of my appearance. "What are you, anyways? Are you a Shiny or a normal Sneasel? No one knows. That's why you're an outcast!" Sera was referring to Izol's deformities and odd appearance.

_Izol wasn't an ordinary Sneasel._ Although she had a black body, she showcased streaks, which resembled a Shiny Sneasel, which are pink. Her eyes, left ear, and tail feathers were a shiny and sparkling gold. Along her physique were stripes of pink, as well as, her paws, which were completely hot-pink. These genetic deformities were always brought, whenever Sera and Izol argued. It didn't bother her much.

"You know, when you bring that up, it shows that you have nothing left to argue for," Sera crossed her arms and looked in the opposite direction of Izol, who brought up a good point.

"So?" Sera posted. _He's such a baby._ "You're just mad that he ditched us because you're overbearing!"

_Me? Overbearing? He's joking, right._ "Whatever, you say. Let's go find a Pidgeot or something, who's willing to fly us back," As Izol made up her mind, the dirt beneath the wide, tan building rustled and out came their ride. He had an old, red device caught between his teeth and two worn-out balls in his claws._ Oh, there he is._

When the Pokémon dug his way up, he began to hover seamlessly, in the air. He was a Flygon, an insectoid dragon with buggy, red eyes, and rhombus-shaped wings. His whole body was mostly scattered with different shades of green. Around his neck was a red bandana, covering up a tinier charm necklace, of some sort. Near the end of his tail was a crescent-shaped scale. While the middle spoke of his tail had a tiny notch.

"Sorry, guys. I was just gathering some human junk," The Flygon flew around back and placed this "human junk" in a pile. Izol and Sera followed suit by going around back, also. When Izol reached there, she could see very odd things.

There was a red device, which she couldn't account for, a Snorlax that had been stuffed, which Izol thought was cruel and inhumane, two balls with a plate grimed away from dirt and time, and odd pieces of cloth. All of these, Izol thought was weird. In fact, she would always imagine, how humans would use these things on a case-by-case basis.

The image always disgusted her.

"You found a lot of good junk, Kite. Way to go!" Izol implored Kite's discoveries and gladly stuffed these objects into her black garbage bag.

"Did you guys get it?" Kite asked.

"Sure did. Of course, I did most of the work. I had to save Sera's life, again. And he didn't even say 'Thank You'," Kite smacked his lips, nodding his head in disappointment.

"Usually, when someone saves your life, you give them gratitude," Sera was fuming, his flames growing larger and larger with each passing second. He had a face of disbelief and shock.

"I said 'Thanks!'. What? You have to be joking!" Sera stomped. Izol rubbed the Quilava's backside and giggled.

"I'm only messing with you. I think your head is full of hot air sometimes," Sera calmed his nerves and relaxed his muscles, simmering his erupting fire. He's so easy to get mad, that it's almost funny.

"Ready to head, out?" Kite prepared his wings by coming down to the surface of Pallet Town. "Just put everything on my back and climb on!" Izol tossed the heavy garbage bag on Kite's back and climbed on his back, weighing the Flygon down, a smudge. Sera then leaped on the Pokémon's back, weighing him down, even more.

"Hey, Sera. What'd you eat?"

"Just some Rare Candies. Try to fly a bit slower, this time around," And I'm supposed to be the overbearing one. Flygon shimmied his body and flapped his wings. There was a long pause of nothing but the wind blowing against Kite's wings.

The sudden feeling of the chill air exhilarated him. He was prepared to take on the world. Sera tapped on his skin. "Buddy. Are you okay? We can-," Just like that, Kite shot up like a bottle rocket, breaking the passing winds at a blinding speed. Nothing felt better than flying for Kite.

_**"AHHHHHH. I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO SLOW DOWN?!"**_ Sera's screaming was being drowned out by the crackling of the sky-blue winds, popping his ears. Izol had both arms in the air and she was welcoming everything the sky threw at her.

_**"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THIS IS SLOW!"** _Kite responded, twisting and turning on the surface of the clouds and spiking downwards.

"_**YEAH, SERA. THIS IS AWESOME!"**_ Izol exclaimed, holding their bag of goodies, tightly. He just can't handle the intensity of Kite's flying.

"_**WHAT?! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"**_ Sera was digging in his ears, trying to unclog them from debris and air pressure.

"**NEXT STOP. AQUACORDE TOWN!"**

* * *

**Later, at Aquacorde Town, Kalos...**

Aquacorde Town was relatively untouched, during the extinction of humans. Some of the properties were defaced, with some holes in more than a few buildings. Ultimately, though, Aquacorde Town became a bustling marketplace, one of the biggest ones in Kalos. Pokémon met and greeted each other, here and homemade stands were set up to do business, which was family-owned. This marketplace was so large, that it stretched to Kalos's Route 1 and even to Vaniville Town, which was also unscathed, through all the chaos, one-hundred years ago.

It was Izol's home, away from home.

With that said; Izol, Kite, and Sera were all well-known for their escapades. It was like Christmas when they arrived in town. The inhabitants already had a good idea that they would come back with junk, that was well worth the wait.

Kite landed safely in Aquacorde Town, setting foot on the stone bridge that sat over the crystal-clear river. Izol carried her heavy stuff, off of the Flygon and Sera crawled off, as well. Ah. Here we are. Miss this place. When they say foot, many people turned to their direction and greeted them, profoundly.

"HEY, GUYS! WE'RE BACK!" Kite shouted. They began walking through the stone-made town, passing by all sorts of business stands. These ranged from selling food and other goodies; healing biomedicine, artifacts and collectibles, but most importantly for those three Pokémon, human objects.

They started trekking to their favorite stand, running into many creatures, who awaited Izol, Sera, and Kite's return like heroes. Sera plucked out a handful of Rare Candies. "Sera. Sera. Sera. **SERA!** Can we have some candy?!" A group of five, rascal Bunnelby begged.

Sera happily gave one Rare Candy to each of them. "Here you go. Don't drop it!" Sera winked. The Bunnelbies eyes' sparkled with glee, as they held their candies, close to their heart.

**"THANKS, MR. SERA, MS. IZOL, AND MR. KITE!"**

"Hey, no problem, guys. Izol and Sera did most of the heavy lifting, themselves," Kite accepted the gratitude, he was given._ We did the 'heavy lifting'? I think flying us back to the Kalos sector can count for something._

"Yeah. But hey, anything for you guys!" Izol blushed, fiddling with her claws.

"**YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST.** Come on guys, let's go to the forest! Last one there has to give up their candy!" The gang dashed to the forest, leaving the three alone.

"No way, you're going down!"

Children always loved the joys of sweets and other things, so when they came back with a bag of Rare Candy, it was only plausible that they would pursue the three. It didn't bother them much, Sera always had a gentle heart for kids, despite his anger problems.

Izol's stomach moaned, "Uhh... I'm starving!" Sera popped a Rare Candy and placed one in the palm of Izol's hand.

"Eat the candy. It's good," Sera pronounced._ Candy isn't very filling._ Izol groaned and growled.

"I'm starving, for real! I knew we should've cut up that Sandslash and ate him!" Sera looked at his partner, strangely.

"What?! You can't simply eat a Sandslash!" Kite and Izol blankly took a gander at Sera, like he was dense. "Who are you guys, looking at?"

"Haven't you eaten a Pokémon, before?" Kite pointed out. Sera's flames flared and calmed at rapid paces, akin to a heartbeat.

"Of course, I have. I've eaten plenty of Magikarp!" Sera exclaimed. He's such a weird Quilava. Maybe because he's uptight. The Sneasel snickered. "What's so funny? Did I say something funny?"

"So you can eat a Magikarp, but not a Sandslash?" Izol mocked his arguments.

Kite nodded in agreement with the dark thieve, "Yeah. That Sandslash was a psycho. However, Magikarp barely has anything to live for and you kill them, anyways. What a hypocrite..."

Sera was starting to go off the deep-end with his emotions. "How can you cook something like that anyways?"

Izol thought to herself for a moment when they walked past a Pidgey. "Hey, guys!" She slapped the kid's palm and snapped graciously.

"Easy. I use my claws to skin the Sandslash and then dice it up into small pieces. Second, you cook it with Flamethrower and finally, Kite can taste-test!"

"YES! I CAN TASTE-TEST!" Kite flew in a loop, triumphantly. At least, Kite agrees with me!

Sera nearly gagged at that thought. "You guys can be really morbid," They finally made it to their stop, a business stand that specifies in human junk. There were many sorts of knickknacks that sold here, which were trivial to humans: Watches, Socks, Broken computers. Unfortunately, they had no idea what these devices were meant for. Izol and company always nabbed the best jobs, their information broker and buyer, Ivan The Diggersby, had arranged for them.

When their trusted buyer saw their three faces, he quickly used his ears to shove away his current customers, in favor, for them. "Ay! Sera, Izol, and Kite; Welcome Back! Get ya' asses ova here!"

Kite took hold of their bag. "I got it, from here!" _Good thing, because I was going to make Sera drag it._ The stand that Ivan worked at was as previously mentioned, obsessed with human artifacts and remains. There were all sorts of objects, collecting on a dusty shelf. Ivan had- almost- some sort of fetish for human stuff. But that's what Izol thought of him, as cool as he was.

"How's my three favorite bandits of righteousness. Did you get what I wanted?" Kite dug in the garbage bag and lifted up, a black stone, white marble chest which held the Rare Candies on Cinnabar Island. Ivan wrapped his large ear's around the chest and pulled it aside. He bent down and appraised the chest, checking it from all corners. Ivan let with a gigantic grin. _Did we do good?_

"**WOOBOY!** There it is! That "R" crescent! The symbol for the human legend that was 'Team Rocket'! You guys truly know how to make a feller', happy!" They were all happy that they did a job, well done. Ivan opened a bag and pulled out a sum of money, which in this day and age, was simply called Coin. "Now, you three remind me of how much this job's paying ya'!"

Kite gladly smiled and said, "NINE-THOUSAND!"

"Only nine-thousand Coin? The way business has been going, I haven't got no problem giving you compensation. You three are hard-workers and I like me some hard workers." I knew it! He did have a weird fetish for human stuff.

Izol laughed, "Mainly Kite and I, though. Sera's the bogey, as usual..." Sera frowned.

"You know, she just teases you, Sera. Don't take it to heart," Sera knew he needed to chill down, instead of making a scene, in front of everyone. _But I'm really not teasing._

Ivan grabbed a napkin and began polishing the chest. "You three want a low-down on some big money? It's a very expensive job. But the money's of no object,"

Kite rejected, "We can come to that later. We're going to the Professor to see what he can make out of all the other stuff, we got!" Ivan didn't object to this, whatsoever.

"Yeah. It'd be wrong of me to wisp you away after you just came back. Whenever, you're ready!" The trio stepped away from the shop with three-thousand Coin on hand, each. Izol's golden eyes were gleaming with excitement.

"FINALLY! MONEY FOR FOOD!" Izol quickly ran to the stand, selling all food and bought whatever she desired. She ran back with an arm, full of food. She had an apple in her mouth and a couple slices of bread in her hands. "Kite. I got you some fruit!"

"Thanks!" Kite hurdled down a variety of fruit, from Kiwi to apples. Sera looked at the pile of food with delight.

"Sooo... What did you get me?" Sera shined. Izol swallowed hard.

"Uhhhh... I didn't know what you like, so I got you some berries and this piece of meat on a stick!" Sera gladly accepted Izol's offer and chugged down the berries, then shoved the cube of meat into his mouth.

"Mmm... this is really good meat. What is it?" Izol wickedly giggled before veering to Sera's ear.

"Sandslash," Sera nearly choked, wiping his tongue wildly, trying to get the taste out of his mouth.

"**THAT'S DISGUSTING!**" Kite and Izol started laughing at the expense of the poor, gagging Quilava.

"You said it was good, ten seconds ago," Izol said, shoving some more food down her throat. He'll be fine. It's only food.

"Guys. We're here," Kite knocked on a red-brown door set before an abandoned house. A lot of houses were left behind when the age of human extinction began. It was common to Pokémon to take refuge in their old houses after they gained the intelligence that humans once possessed.

This was the home and lab of Professor Fickle. People call him crazy, but he just wanted to know all that he could, about humans. The trio stood and waited by the door, twiddling their thumbs and staring at their bag, full of assorted goodies.

"I hope this is worth something in his research. It'd be a shame for all of this to become a waste," Kite hoped.

"Me too. I was very tempted to sell this stuff to Ivan. Hopefully, this has some obscene ties to humans!" Izol responded. Sera didn't say anything, he just ate some more Rare Candies, enjoying the sweet and sour taste that gave him a substantial boost of energy.

The door swung open and a Slowking, answered their call. This was Professor Fickle. As did everyone in Aquacrode Town, Fickle smiled when he saw the three Pokémon standing by their door. He clapped his hands in excitement. _Boy, he's sure excited to see us._

"Goodie! You're back. Good thing, because I was getting bored," Sera tossed the Professor a Rare Candy. "Ahh. Looks like your recent mission was a success. Which means you have brought more items, for the cause of research?" The three Pokemon nodded, affirming his suspicions. "Splendid! Come in. Come in. You three are always invited..."

They all let themselves in, dragging the garbage bag behind them. _**"We have a lot to talk about."**_

* * *

_The three Pokémon peered around the marketplace. For three insignificant fighters, who looked for treasure to support their welfare, they had a heart for the people. An undying love for their kind, who was still accustoming the extinction of humans, after over a century. A world without trainers, where it's a free-for-all for survival._

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**Ello! So how's that first chapter. Did it set the mood for you?... Awesome! I've been given 11 OC's thus far, which was pretty surprising, since I'm not used to this much attention! Thank you! I've come to conclusion that because of this, it would only be nice to start QOTD' s or something of the likes. The submitted OC belongs to PokeThatPokemon. Make sure to read her stories and review. They ****deserve it! ****Leave questions, comments, and concerns, in the reviews! ****So with that said, I'm out!**


	4. Chapter 2: The Human Researcher

_**A/N**: Happy (Late) New Year! Sorry for the long wait and short chapter. Things got in the way of writing, which sort of sucks. But nothing like Chapter 2 to calm your nerves. Don't worry, I'm not dead. No new submitted OC's yet, but I essentially have a plan for most of the ones I was given. :) With that said, hope you like the 3k chapter. **ENJOY :)**_

_Thanks to **We're All Okay, Me(Guest), reven228, Ckbrothers(Guest), The Gentleman Ghost, Error 16, CrazeGuy, **and** RisingSerperior **for their reviews!_

* * *

Professor Fickle's home was nothing out of the ordinary. It was a two-story home with blue, carpeted floors. On the north-eastern section of the house lay a staircase leading to the second floor. There were a couple, small wooden tables scattered throughout the center of the room. All around the square border of the floor was an extensive bookcase that stretched all around the entire floor, only leaving space for the stairs and the entrance.

There were open books scattered throughout all the tables, yet there isn't a single soul, other than Fickle, in sight. It was quite odd.

The Professor took the young Flygon's garbage bag filled with goodies and headed to the staircase, "Make yourself at home. Come upstairs, when you're ready. I'll be examining the things you've gathered at Kanto!" Fickle trekked to the upper floor while the three guests made their way inside his home.

Izol yawned, "The professor's pretty sloppy for someone who lives alone. Well, I'm bored," Kite hovered over to the westward section of the extensive bookcase, scanning through all the books. There was a lot to choose from, but Kite couldn't press his mind on one. Even then, he had no cognitive ability of reading.

"You're always bored," Kite decided on a book: A picture book with a red cover and words, he could not make out. He pressed the book on the wooden table, Izol was comforting sitting herself in and floated gently to her level.

"Why don't you look at these human records? I'm still jealous that the professor can read and I can't," Sera unwrapped one of his candies.

"Who would want to know, what the humans did? They seem pretty boring to me AND they're extinct," Sera tossed one of the candies in his mouth, crunching the shell of packed energy. The rodent-sized fireball was suddenly covered in a blinding light as his body started to distort itself in many ways. "_There he goes again_," thought Kite.

Izol stood up and stretched out her arms. "I got this," Before Sera transformed into a complete species, Izol slapped Sera on his back, slamming him to the ground to stop his evolution. The Quilava was crushed above the carpeted floors, hyperventilating.

"Ow. Ow. That hurt. Thanks," Sera massaged his back, getting his bearings on his two feet. "Do you really have to hit me, every time I start evolving?"

"I don't know any more methods," Izol answered wickedly. Kite laughed, carrying his book with him over to his friends' side. _I think she just enjoys hitting him._

Sera scoffed and continued, "Like I was saying, why get fascinated over an extinct species?" Kite shrugged, caressing the book, tightly._ Why wouldn't I be interested?_

"They just seem interesting. Besides, it's been so long, that no Pokémon are still alive to tell how humans were. So all we have is junk and books," Kite's wings flapped deciding to ascend the staircase. _The Professor can read me this, he knows everything._

Sera seemed perplexed and slightly disorientated, scratching his head, "Is that why Kite stays behind and hunts for human stuff, whenever he could?"

"You're a special kind of stupid. We've been doing this gig for how long and you just now noticed it?" Sera ignored Izol and decided to follow in pursuit of Kite, leaving the Sneasel alone on the first floor.

Izol revealed her candy and shoved one in her mouth then mumbled, "What an idiot..."

* * *

**Professor Fickle's Lab...**

The second, and uppermost, floor of Professor Fickle's home was more of a lab. The flooring was a hard and immaculate, marble-grey sectioned into squares. There was a bookshelf, but it wasn't as large as the one on the first floor. Everything here was more organized. All objects were grouped with something else.

There was a metal, dissection table off to a corner of the room. On the table was a dismembered limb of another species, that was not Pokémon, by nature. The metal shelves had been scattered along the walls of the lab, hosting human junk that Professor Fickle either studied, finished studying or will study further.

At one extremity of the west wall sat a nest of the softer remains of humans, such as mattresses, pillows, and cotton; This was Fickle's resting spot. Other than that, the room was filled with solely research equipment and subjects. The Slowking was organizing all of the things; Kite, Izol, and Kite gathered while in the Kanto sector.

The Professor Slowking recognized Kite's presence and turned around, "Hello, Kite. Glad to see you here. Where are your two friends? I swore, I saw them just a bit ago..." Fickle wandered to Kite's personal space and noticed the red book, he was clutching, so dearly. "I see you want me to read this book,"

"You bet I do! Too bad, I can't read human speech," Kite handed the book, he picked, to the Slowking. "And Izol and Sera should be up here, in a bit. _Unless, they've started arguing, for the millionth time._

"I have exciting discoveries to share with all three of you!" Kite twitched with sudden excitement. Awesome! That means the junk helped his research. "We just have to wait on that Quilava and that Sneasel," Kite's head drooped upon hearing that. _This is going to take forever with those two._

Footsteps were heard from over the staircase as both Izol and Sera came up to greet the Professor. This took Kite by complete surprise, nonetheless. _That was... Actually pretty fast. When can I be right, for once?_ When they all were presented themselves, Fickle did not hesitate to get down to business.

"Izol, Kite, Sera; You are all going to be the first of many to witness discoveries beyond your mortal imagination!" Professor Fickle sprinted as fast as he could possibly stand and showcased a plush doll, much similar to the one Kite found. Instead, this plush doll resembled an Excadrill.

Sera had been genuinely confused, "What does that have to with anything?"

"SHUSH," Kite quickly quieted the loud-mouthed Quilava. "The professor speaks. Show some respect!" Izol rolled her eyes at Kite's enthusiasm.

"Sera. You know not to get between a Flygon and his excitement for bland, old humans," Kite stared at Izol with a face of anger and slight hatred, prompting Sera and Izol, to shut up and listen. _Finally. I really want to know._

"Okay, we're listening!" Kite perked up. The Slowking coughed up, clearing his throat, before speaking a sound about his findings.

Fickle began pacing around the floor, "Now. I figured out that humans had... Odd, eating patterns. They are vicious predators, who feed on anything they can find. **EXAMPLE NUMBER ONE!**" In an instant, the Professor examined the plush doll, giving everyone in the room a chance to witness it.

"Uhhhh... are you sure, Professor?" Kite smacked Sera on the head with his powerful tail. Just like her, Izol laughed it off as a gag. Upon hitting the ground, Sera soothed his noggin, "What the hell, Kite?!"

"Quiet! We know as much as you!" Kite screamed. "Continue Professor Fickle," Professor Fickle grabbed the two balls on the metal desk and began to toss them up, in the air, only to catch them, when they fell.

"Like I was saying, Humans are disgusting and vile creatures. They will not hesitate to kill your loved ones. HOWEVER, humans have many physical disadvantages and did not come into contact with Pokémon often-"

Izol interrupted, "So how'd they eat?" The Slowking bounded with delight, gladly taking notice of Izol's question.

"EXACTLY! Spot on, Izol!" Kite looked at Izol with pure jealously of her answer. _Lucky. That was gonna be my guess._ "So how DID they eat?" Fickle shoved the balls, he was tossing into the air repeatedly, in Kite's face without smacking it.

"Those?" Sera queried. I swear if Sera interrupts again.

"Yes. I finally figured it out. Humans used these balls to capture their prey, as touching them would lead to a body shut down!" While Izol and Sera were more than skeptical, Kite was relishing ever conceivable moment. _Woah. I never knew humans were so frail. No wonder, they're extinct._

"**AND THEN**! Using their fancy, smancy technology, they would extract all of the flesh and blood from their food, leaving nothing but skin behind," Fickle deterred attention from the balls to the Snorlax doll, "However, when they were eating them from the inside out, humans will fill their bodies with fluff and cotton; for the very purpose of putting them up for market as play things!"

"Err... You're serious?" Izol tried to piece together information.

"Who's the Professor, here?" Fickle condesended. Sera weren't buying it either, laying his back comfortably on Fickle's nest.

"If that's the case, Humans are pretty disgusting and vile creatures. And I tag-along with Izol everyday," Her face made it clear that Izol didn't have a problem knocking the Quilava out, but she resisted.

Kite neglected his skeptical friends and asked the Professor, "Anything else?" The headstrong and somewhat insane Professor ravaged through his foundings, yanking forth a couple documents, scanning them and throwing them back.

"Of course, my boy! Now, bear with me guys," For once, all three bandits were keeping an open ear and mind for what the nutty Slowking had to say. _This has to be good._ Professor Fickle knows so much. Kite could hardly contain his pride and joy, twitching in midair.

"Ok. Now keep an open mind. Humans, before they went extinct, captured and forced Pokémon species to battle. They would go in competitions and use their skills as a master, to form a sort of social hierarchy amongst other humans!" The room befell nothing but complete and utter silence. After a brief moment, a chuckle from Sera was heard.

"I can believe that humans captured Pokémon and ate their flesh without touching any form of skin or exoskeleton using some weird, ancient technology. But, saying that they forced us to battle and this became a cultural phenomenon is severely stretching it," Izol clapped her hands slowly and sarcastically at that comment.

"Wow, Sera. You're using pretty big words for such a pint-sized rodent," She teased. Sera's flames grew big, show his anger erupting from his body. Izol continued, "But I do agree with him. Isn't that theory, by extension, slavery?"

Kite blindly supported the theory, "Sure, it's slavery. But what if Pokémon and Humans were good friends? Sounds possible..." Izol wasn't giving in.

"Then considering that Humans are extinct, Pokémon weren't very good friends down the line," Fickle nor Kite could argue that point further.

"Izol does have a point," Sera took note, nearly falling asleep on the Professor's nest. _What ever happened to having an open mind? Humans can't be that bad._

"Hmm.. You make an interesting point. I would need to gather more data on my theory to see if it was possible. There are still many holes in my theory, it is underdeveloped," Fickle decided, requesting his audience a favor. "Are you guys willing to gather more materials and evidence on the lives of humans?"

Sera yawned, "It depends on if we find something, while on a job."

Izol followed, "Yeah. We usually bring human stuff when we get the chance. Whether or not, we would be willing to do this full-time is in the air."

Kite thought to himself over the nature of his work. _We can't possibly want to do this forever. Stealing and getting paid, constantly._

The work that Kite and the others did wasn't entirely bad, but after a while, it was getting tiresome. The same can be said by anyone with any job. "I wouldn't mind a research position. But I need to lug these two around," Kite stuck his thumb out at the Sneasel and Quilava.

Fickle rubbed his chin, contemplating, "Still noble thieves, I see. How about this? I still want you three to help work towards the full understanding of humans. Whenever you are ready, come settle down, here!" The offer was considered by Izol and Sera, but Kite was all for it.

He always wanted to have the full understanding of humans and grow a vast intelligence, after all of this business of stealing was done for. Settling down didn't seem like a bad idea.

"Awesome! We'll consider it, Professor!" Sera lifted his tired head from the nest, scratching his back.

"Fantastic! You three should run along, now. Go and live life. My home and lab is always opened to you," Izol and Sera waved goodbye, as they descended the stairs, making their way, out of the house. Kite, stayed behind.

"Don't forget, Kite. I still need to teach you to read human speech, once you return for good!" Kite nodded.

"I'll be looking forward to it. Bye, Professor Fickle!"

_"Goodbye, Kite_!"

* * *

**Aquacorde Town, Kalos...**

Before they knew it, Kite was standing before Ivan, once more along with his two companions. He tried to resist, but Sera and Izol were ready to explore more of the world and make some good money, while at it. It was almost like a drug. And Kite hoped that he would grow above it soon.

Ivan was still relishing his chest when he began to speak, "Welcome back, guys! I reckon' you came back to that new job, I've been clamoring for," Izol confirmed the Diggersby's suspicions with a simple nod of her head.

"Yep. You said that it was a "big" job, right?" Sera led in, placing his elbow on his stand. Ivan double-checked his surroundings, before leading in, talking quieter.

"There's an item known as the Rainbow Wing. Not that many people know about it, but I hear it's one-of-a-kind. That thing's in high demand," Kite had his concerns, frowning at the sound of the words "one" and "high demand".

"If there's only one, how much are you going to pay us for this? The wing is most likely guarded," Kite added.

"Let's just say that if you pull this off, you'll be living your life for free- easy," There was little arguing that point. _Who doesn't want to live their life for free?_ But, Izol had her questions as well. There were little detials, Ivan was giving. This secretism even made Sera, a bit nervous.

"Where is it? And give me an estimate on how dangerous this can be," Ivan was happy to alleviate their fears for unwarranted injury and possible death.

"I hear that it's somewhere in Bell Tower, Johto sector. It's a large, red-bricked building with a golden top. Can't miss it. As for danger; I heard rumors that people go in and don't come out, but keep your wits about you and you three will be fine," For some reason, Kite felt sick to his stomach. _This doesn't feel right. I'm not so sure about this job._

"Kite. You seem worried. Do you think we should go through with this?" Sera asked his nervous friend. It wasn't like Kite to get nervous, however, when he had a hunch, it didn't go unnoticed. This time, Kite decided to ignore his instinct.

"Yeah. This is just a potentially dangerous job. We just need to be careful, that's all!"

"Good! We're in agreement! And after we're finished, we can all settle down and explore the world, and gain further knowledge, like we always wanted!" Izol tried to comfort the Flygon by giving reassuring words.

_Bell Tower. All I have to do is make it out there with a wing and I'm Scott-free. Shouldn't be too difficult._ Kite wasn't ready, but if this was their ticket to a better life than what they had, he was all for the idea.

"I'll be waiting for you guys. If you're not back by ten days, I'll assume you've up and ran or died. Don't disappoint me."

"If Sera's anything like he usually is, we may not come back!" Izol quickly teased, climbing upon Kite's scaly, dragooned back with their flaming ball coming up, as well.

"Ready, Kite?" Izol held on to his neck, before whispering, "We'll be fine, I promise. Don't worry, we'll be hearing Fickle's ridiculous theories in no time,"

Hearing those words reminded the unnerved Flygon, why he befriended Izol and Sera, in the first place. He was technically a third wheel, but he was equally cared for. Sera moaned, "Let's get this over with. Just don't fly, so fast..."

Kite coughed up and spat, shimmying to the ground. "I will kick your ass if you throw up on my back, again. Especially, if I'm gonna fly this slow."

When he lifted off, Aquacorde was a distant memory. Make it back, safely? Die in the Tower? It was all subjective on how they pulled off this job.

Who knows? _**The answer might surprise him.**_

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**What do you think? Think they can make it in Bell Tower? EVEN I DON'T KNOW (I actually do XD). The sooner Introduction chapters are out of the way, the sooner you get longer chapters :). If an OC shows up and someone submitted it, I highly advise that you check out that person's writing (if they have any). Got a burning question? Want to chat? Submit an OC? Make sure to PM me! Remember to leave thoughts, concerns, and overall thoughts in reviews!**

**Looks like the majority, adores Izol, thus far. See you guys soon! With that said, I'm out!**

**QOTD: _Did you submit an OC? If so, when do you think that your OC may show up(assuming the_****_y haven't already)?_ Wild guesses are never bad answers.**


	5. Chapter 3: Ecruteak and Other Things

_**A/N:** Betcha, you've been sorta waiting on this. Well, here it is! This was surprisingly fun to write (as you will see, later in this chapter). One submitted OC appears. I have nothing else to say other than I hope you like this chapter. Besides, people like Ecruteak City XD. **ENJOY :)**_

_Thanks to **Typical Guest (Guest), OPFan37, reven228, Crazeguy, Ckbrothers, Cottonmouth25, RisingSerperior, We're All Okay, The Gentleman Ghost, Error 16, **and **Ravenmask Meow,** for their reviews!_ _Never gonna get used to so many reviews XD. Keep being classy._

* * *

Ecruteak City. Time has treated the wounds of this ravaged city well. While the serene and calm forest surrounding it was mainly destroyed and burnt down to a crisp, those same ashes brought about something beautiful. The plant life evolved from an evergreen hue to those of many shades of reds, yellows, oranges, and browns; The very scene of autumn, but it ran for the entire year, never losing that golden and warm touch. Forest life was quickly growing over the human infrastructure to reclaim, what was once theirs.

The city itself was decimated, leaving no buildings or homes unscathed. They all seem to have been caught in a massive flame, leaving black ash and dust in their wake. The soot of a destructive force resonated within the airstream, blocking out most sunlight that attempted to seep in from its cracks. A small pond sat in the upper east corner of the city, reflecting the autumn colors and harboring ever-floating leaves.

Despite this, Ecruteak was populated fairly well. It wasn't barren and Pokémon enjoyed it, some even staying around, making it their new homes. There were a couple of merchants setting up stands, thus attracting the populous by supplying their everyday needs. It wasn't nearly on the level of Aquacorde, but it did enough to stay around.

In the far back of the city, lay a minimally damaged tower. It was mostly a bricked grayscale, with its fair share of reds and golds, along the metal foundation of the tower. Speaking of the tower, it was ten stories tall, peaking the very expanse of the sunny day. It was far more intimidating but beautiful than anything Ecruteak offered.

Something about it felt grand and final. Like a sunset, only in the form of a serene column. Just staring at its design made the three certain, that this place held something worth protecting.

They flew down gracefully onto the flooring below. Sera doubled over in sickness, resisting his urge to throw up his lunch of Rare Candies. However, no one really felt bad for the hapless guy. Kite just rolled his eyes, "Suck it up. You'll be fine. Now you know what happens when you eat too much junk!"

"How was I supposed to know that candy and sweet stuff makes Pokémon sick?!" Izol bounced off Kite's back and took a good look around her. Many Ghost, Psychic, and other supernatural Pokémon resided the city. They're vicious intents and mysterious nature wasn't much of an inconspicuous bother. Sneasel took it upon herself to join in on their little conversation.

"Didn't your parents say that you have to eat all of your berries and meat before dessert?" Izol felt proud of that statement and giggled to herself. Sera's stomach rumbled wildly.

"Why me? The universe just despises me and wants me to die," Sera overexaggerated and began to whine, "I think the world is watching my every move and deciding when and how to fuck me over. It's so painful."

Kite nor Izol was buying any of the bull Sera was feeding, over the subject of his stomach pains. Kite smacked his teeth, "You are a baby. You've been through far worse."

"How? I'm hungry and hurting of starvation at the same time! That's like double the pain in every way possible!" Sera fought his pains by standing on his two feet, clenching his stomach. _Well, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger._ "So what are we doing here, wise guy? The tower is over _**that** _way," The rodent pointed behind his head at the towering monstrosity peeking over the forested areas.

"Were you listening at all?" Kite asked, brushing off the burn skid marks that was left behind by Sera. Raising an eyebrow, the small fireball didn't recall anything that could've been deemed as important to their undertaking. Upon observation, Izol sighed in disappointment.

"I knew you were stupid, but this is a new low, even for you," Sera got agitated.

"So what?! I missed something because I wasn't listening. Just tell me already," Sera demanded from his colleagues. _Geez, don't leave me in the dark. I'm not that stupid._

"Since you weren't listening, we decided to get information, before we go to Bell Tower," Kite briefly explained their plan. _That makes no sense._ Sera folded his elbows behind his head.

"Big whoop. These people probably are too scared to have found out anything. We went into the Pokémon Mansion without information and we're fine! Let's just storm it," Izol rejected these claims, sitting down and scratching her claws on the black-sooted pavement.

"Actually, that Kangashkan and those kids told us about the statues and even that Sandslash, you just don't listen," Kite said.

"Get over it. You didn't even help us!" Sera began pacing about Ecruteak, going with the flow of their plan. "The sooner this is done, the sooner Kite can go back to stalking humans!"

"I don't **_STALK_** humans!"

* * *

The trio began to walk around and ask for information from the inhabitants. It shouldn't be too bad to be around Dark, Psychic, and Ghost Pokémon, that were in a close proximity of that tower. Although, it was hard to deduce some form of a substantial conclusion based on the... questionable resources.

The three first decided to split up and try to gather information, the best way they could. Therefore, they were able to compile their evidence in the end. It did bother Sera some that he, ultimately had to deal with imbeciles.

* * *

Izol first approached a Pokémon. A short, black, humanoid Pokémon with slim legs and arms. It had two humps on its body with their own white ribbon. She had depressing, blue eyes and long black pigtails that had white ribbons pistoned on it. She knew this Pokémon compassionately as a Gothitelle.

The flamboyant Sneasel approached the Gothitelle calmly. She was staring out into blank space, preferably to the Bell Tower beyond. Her chin was positioned at the peak of her palm, sighing.

"Hey!" Izol greeted. Gothitelle sighed again, barely acknowledging the chilly, Dark-type standing behind her. _Err.. She's not the talkative type. How do I approach this?_ Izol stood a couple steps closer and noticed the depressed Psychic-type Pokémon. She decided to put on a huge grin.

"I see, you're looking at Bell Tower. Must be a pretty neat place," Gothitelle's focus veered at Izol and she sighed, for the third time. _Wow. She's such a ray of sunshine._

"I guess. That tower's been there, forever. And here it is, standing tall above this city. I always look at this tower-" Izol interrupted her cheerless speech, trying to remain as positive as possible.

"So you live here?"

"Unfortunately, I do. All there is to do, is sit around and listen to what we think is in there," Gothorita addressed. _Okay, so she has to know about that tower!_

"That's cool. What do you know about that place? Can you tell me?!" Izol begged with her pleading eyes. Dramatically, she shot her head in the direction of Bell Tower and spoke.

"It's a symbol of life and death, here. No matter what happens in this town, it forever stands as a monument of life. We are just sitting ducks in this pool, we call life. What will this city become, after we perish? No-one knows. But, the tower will. Our spirits are bound here, and then we die, feeding into the evolution of human-spirt and the inevitability of death. This is the cycle of life, all Pokémon are tied to. What did you do with your life?"

Izol had no words. A cold chill ran down her spine and it wasn't because she was an Ice-type. For someone like her, Izol was genuinely creeped out, by this little girl. But to avoid any awkward conversation, Izol just jumped to the point, "Sooo... Have you been inside?"

"Hell, no! That place is a deathtrap! Although, cleansing one's body in the souls of the lost, who had perished there, would do my skin, wonders!" Gothitelle felt her hands around Izol's sleek face and body. Izol desperately wanted to dismember her, but she kept her cool. "Wow, your face is smooth as treated bark. How many souls did you cleanse yourself in, today?"

"I don't... Eat... Souls... Sorry?" Izol wasn't too sure, how to answer that question. I suck the soul out of Sera for giggles; Does that count? "Have you heard of something called a 'Rainbow Wing'?"

"Never heard of it."

Izol smacked herself in the face.

_**Nevermind**_.

* * *

Kite wasn't making much progress with his search, either. He tried to gain as much information as possible, as it was some form of a competition, although it was not, at all. Everywhere he flew, Pokémon would give him the same answer, "Nope." or "Sorry, never heard of it", he was even haggled, a few times.

When Kite decided to call it quits, he approached a Mandibuzz, a vulture-like Pokémon with a brown and black, fur coat. It had a large wingspan and bones, sticking out of its head. Her feet were fleshy pink and they were perched upon a destroyed Pokémart.

Kite hovered by when this vulture spoke out to him, in a wicked, femine tone, "Young traveler, you wish to know what lies beyond the gates of death?!" Kite looked to his left and right, not noticing the figure overhead.

"Up here, wise-guy," Kite looked above the blue, destroyed mart to find her. As soon as he caught a glimpse, Kite accepted her offer.

"If you can steer me, in the right direction, that would be great!" Mandibuzz spread her wings, shedding her feathers, while casting a shadow over Kite. _The dramatic type. Fantastic. Maybe this wasn't a good idea._

"You seek the gates of death, heed my words and you shall seek everlasting truth. First, follow the windows of opportunity, that leads one step closer to the heavens. Then, take a turn for the labyrinth of decision, hopping over the pits of despair, until you reach another window. Fear the regiments of the accursed, until you reached before the seventh window and then turn to the pillar, that strikes the top of the heavens, and locate the shadow of secrets. There, you will achieve a great victory!"

Kite's head was in shambles. In other words, he did not follow, at all. Mandibuzz rested her wings, "Do you wish to repeat myself, lone traveler?"

"Maybe, a simplified version?" Kite tried to ease in an alternative explanation, without confusing himself in the process. Unfortunately, she saw through the Flygon's double meaning and grew angrier.

"Simplified? Are you not entertained by simple instructions, young Flygon? Riddles don't grow on trees, you know. These take a lot of time and effort! You cannot just ask for a simplified version!"

"But-"

**"BUT**?! Do you see my wings?" Mandibuzz made her wings clear enough to see, well. "You know how hard it is to write with these! This new generation does not appreciate the art of Riddles! Out of my face, buggy Dragon! You don't deserve to be in my presence!"

_Riddles aren't cool, anyways. I can find my own way._ Kite ignored the vulture, completely and hovered away.

_**Nevermind.**_

* * *

Sera didn't really try. He wasn't particularly interested in talking with some of the inhabitants. But he had to have something to come back with, so he did try, but minimally. There were a Duskull and a Dusclops, idly standing nearby, conversing over some topic, Sera wasn't too interested to tune into.

"Hey, guys. Do you have any time?" Sera skipped the formalities and got straight to the point. The Dusclops stared at the Quilava, peculiarly before taking a few steps backwards. _What are they, scared?_ Sera tried to inch closer and closer to the Ghosts, but they took three steps for every one, he took.

"What's the big idea?!" Sera hissed at the two Ghost Pokémon. They were shivering, scared stiff to the Quilava, standing in front of him.

"You tell me, _**DEMON**_!" Dusclops answered.

"Demon? Are you serious?!" Dusclops wasn't believing anything the "demon" had to say. "Do you not get out much?! I'm obviously NOT a demon!"

"The flames that erupt from your back, the attitude, and that stature. You are obviously a servant of the Demon King, Giratina!" Dusclops was not making much sense, so Sera decided to disregard the hurtful insults.

"Look. You live here and I need a Rainbow Wing. Know anything about it?" The Dusclops turned the other cheek, turning a full motion away from Sera. _**UHG**! He's a such a damn religious freak! I swear, if he doesn't know anything._

"Only our lord, Arceus, may dispell Judgement onto all who oppose his subjects. You will soon perish in his heavenly light!" It became clear that this Dusclops was a follower of the Alpha Prognosticus, a book that tells the story of Arceus and how he is the savior of this world. Sera didn't follow and resented those, who used that for their life reasoning.

"Do you know about it or not?" Sera growled.

"Why should I tell you?! What does Giratina wish to do with that wing?" _What?! I'm not telling you!_ The little Duskull was snugging against her father, scared at the sight of the fiery rodent. And it upset Sera, just a little bit.

"Daddy, is the demon going to eat us?"

"Yes. But if we state our grounds with our Lord, he will not touch us. Ready, sweetie?" The two Ghost cleared their throats before chanting.

**"THE POWER OF LIGHT COMPELS YOU! THE POWER OF LIGHT COMPELS YOU**!" They kept repeating it over and over before, Sera got fed up with it and left.

_**Nevermind.**_

* * *

The three met back at the center of the city, each disappointed with their findings.

"So, I got called a demon and got slapped a couple times. I'm sure you guys did better," Sera began to state his failures. Izol and Kite shrugged off their failures as well.

"Someone told me some bullshit riddle. Other than that, nada..." Kite disclosed. The Flygon and the Quilava both stared at Izol, awaiting her response.

"Me neither. Someone preached to me, the meaning of life," Izol concluded. Sera folded his arms, across his chest and blew off steam.

"See? Told you, everyone here are idiots. But no one listens to a Quilava, these days!" As much as, they wanted to say he was wrong, Sera did know that trying to find information was a waste of time. The two others stayed completely silent. _How does it feel to be wrong?_

"Now what?!" Izol scratched the surface of her head, trying to think up, some plan. Kite knew what they had to do, on the other hand.

"We just storm the tower, then. It's unorthodox, but with the three of us, we should be fine," Kite finished. Sera had a dastardly smear across his face, realizing that he was right, for once.

"Bad idea!" A mysterious voice resonated to the three Pokémon, gaining their attention, immediately. The male Pokémon was in a hoodie, so it was hard to make out his full appearance. He was shorter; No taller than Izol but a bit shorter than Kite. In his hand was a green, energy-based sword.

"Where did you come from?!" Kite was surprised, considering that he never saw him, beforehand. Sera and Izol followed with Kite's logic.

"Yeah, how cliché is it to have some hooded guy tell us about the thing we wanted, at the last second?" Sera insulted the hooded figure.

"Would've been useful, a half-hour ago. If you knew what we wanted, why wait now to tell us?" The hooded figure rolled his crisp blue eyes.

"Just listen. If you want the Rainbow Wing, go to the sixth floor and find a secret, invisible button. That will open a corridor on the first floor. Just watch out for the guards, they're everywhere!" The hooded figure faced about the three, once more, facing the horizon of the Bell Tower.

"And how do you know this?" Sera haggled. _He's SO trying to put off the mysterious act._

"How I know, isn't important. Just be careful. They'll let you off with a warning, if you get caught, so it's not the end of the world!" Before the figure could leap away, Izol stopped him with another question.

"Come on, don't be shy! You can, at least, tell us your name!" Izol smiled. He nodded his head, in return, declining any gesture to tell his name. "Well... You're holding a green saber, so you're obviously a Grass-element..."

The Pokémon swallowed a lot of spit, pulling back his chlorophyllic blade. "No, I'm not! I just have this as one of my moves, why should it mean anything?"

"Because you're acting nervous," Kite answered, snickering underneath his breath.

"Alright. I'm a Grass-element. But, you'll never know my name!" As he said those words, a shriek was heard from a couple feet away, calling out his name.

**"HEY, BLADE!"** A young Snivy shouted at the hooded figure, who was twitching and sweating.

"... He's probably talking about some other... Hooded vigilante..."

"Blade. What are you doing with that Sneasel? Don't you know she's an Ice-Element?!" Izol was trying hard not to laugh, but his nervousness made it only harder to not stop everything for a quick giggle.

"Probably coincidentally with another Sneasel..." The tiny Snivy sprinted up to the hooded Pokémon, who smacked himself in the face with sheer disappointment. Sera held his stomach in laughter, almost doubling over the floor. _That worked out, almost too perfectly. Comedy gold, right here._

"That's rich! Did you come up with that name yourself?!" Sera mocked his mundane name.

"Hardee-har-har..." Blade took off his hoodie to reveal himself as a Servine, a bipedal Pokémon with leaves poking out in all directions of his head. He was plastered with green and tan. On his neck was a wooden bead necklace, of some sort. "Look. It's not safe in there and since you know my name, anyways, I might as well, stick around and make sure you don't get yourself killed!"

"The more the merrier. I'd rather go in with four than three," Kite allowed. Izol and Sera just went along with what Kite had to say and allowed the Servine to temporarily join their small party.

"Blade. Can I come?" Blade graciously nodded his head, against the idea.

"No. Stay here! I don't want you getting hurt, Leaf. Here-" Blade handed Leaf, the Snivy, a bundle of Coin to spend. "Do whatever, until I get back. Just stay in Ecruteak! We'll be right back, okay?"

Leaf folded his arms with a smug demeanor, "Fine! But, I'm not weak!" Blade bent down and fluffed his hair.

"Sure, you aren't. I'll be back, before you know it!" _For a prick, he's a nice brother._ Blade faced Sera, Izol, and Kite and nodded. "Ready?"

"I just want this to be over with!" Kite stretched out his wings. "You guys, okay with this?"

"Eh. You have a bad name, but I guess... you can stick around!" Sera agreed to this tag-along.

Izol smirked her vicious fangs and showed off her shiny and sharpened claws, "I'm fine, too. But, if you cross us, I will find you and kill you!"

Blade breathed heavily, trying to keep his composure. He cracked his neck and knuckles.

"_**Noted**_"

* * *

**Slash's Footnote: **

**Hey look, a new tag-along. I guess you can see, why I enjoyed writing this chapter :). I guess I could've made a number of people mad, especially those who are followers of any religion. It's meant to make you laugh, not mad. n_n. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and all that jaz****z. Cheers to the next chapter because of the Bell Tower. With all of that said, I'm out!**

**You guys had good ideas for when your OC appears, but only one hit the nail of the noggin, mostly. RisingSerperior and their OC, Blade. Make sure to go to their stories and read and review. It will probably mean alot to them :).**

**QOTD: Bell Tower? What do you think lies beyond, for the four? **


	6. Chapter 4: One Last Job

_**A/N:** Remember when I said chapters would get longer? Well, this one 5k, which is 2k more than 3k. This took me a while to write out. So if you like it then great! That would cool if you found this as enjoyable as I did. Not one, not two, but three submitted OC's appear! I think this is a better way to introduce them. With that said, **ENJOY :)**_

_Thanks to** We're All Okay, Guest, RisingSerperior, reven228, Ckbrothers (Guest), Error 16, Cottonmouth25, **and** Crazeguy** for their reviews! I think I had some spare cookies, somewhere..._

* * *

Exiting out the back door of an abandoned home, the four Pokémon reached an odd trail. It was odd because, unlike Ecruteak City, this place seemed untouched- left alone from all the chaos that had ensued over a century ago. Colorful leaves of reds, yellows, oranges, and browns, laid out a discrete path to the tower, which was more real and closer than ever. The air felt clean and crisp with flakes of tiny flames dancing with the shreds of autumn leaves flowing harmoniously with the wind. A golden forest barricaded the zigzag pattern of this specific trail. It was a short trail, but an amazing one, nonetheless.

It was a subtle but atmospheric lead-in to the Bell Tower, itself. The Bellchime Trail enlightened a hidden passion buried beneath their bodies. Something about it, just felt right. Blade was leading the path, acting as Izol, Kite, and Sera's guide in. He took it all in, from the dancing flames to the autumn leaves.

"This place never ceases to amaze me," Blade walked ahead, his feet crunching up the flat leaves. The three stuck to the marked path, astonished at the serenity of the Bellchime Trial, as well.

"It is nice. I can get used to a place like this," Izol complimented, staring down at the earth, smiling. She was happier that no one else was on this trail._ Simply amazing. Why didn't this place, get totaled?_

"It's nice and all, but shouldn't we be discussing a game plan?" Sera chimed in, his body heat, adding more flakes to the wind, as they crackled and burned out.

"You're the one to talk about plans," Kite scoffed. Blade turned back to that question, with the top of his hoodie, concealing his face. It didn't make much of a difference, since the trio had already seen his face, but it could help, in looking inconspicuous.

"He's right. I should probably tell you about what our plan is. Listen carefully," Izol and Kite both took one, long stare at Sera and implied that the Quilava had poor listening skills.

"**_Liiiiisssstttteeeennnn_**. Do you know what that means, Sera?" Izol nailed in his head. Sera averted his gaze with a smug attitude. _Sera is totally gonna screw us over, in the long haul. And we're gonna die because of it._

"Yeah. Yeah. I got it!" Sera raged, erupting a small ounce of his flames into the airspace. Kite leaned close to his flaming body and his personal space, making Sera feel, a little uncomfortable.

"Are you sure?!" Kite cooed. Blade lifted his hand, stopping the conversation before it turned into a yelling Fest. Everyone stopped talking to hear what the Servine had to say.

"Not too loud. Talk quieter," Blade ordered.

Izol quickly hushed her mouth and whispered, "Is this quiet enough?" Blade ignored her and proceeded to explain everything.

"Since you're all listening, here's my plan: We will convince the guards, posted in front of the Tower, to let us in. Then, we'll have Sera and Izol walk up to the sixth floor and find the button while the latter stays on the first to watch the secret corridor and the entrance. Afterward, Kite and I will nab the Rainbow Wing and we can all get out of here, split the money '25-25-25-25'. Any objections?"

Kite and Sera nodded "No", getting on board with Blade's plan. He stared at the Sneasel, who was thinking about it. She just scratched her head and smirked, punching the palm of her hand.

"Sure, why the hell, not? I guess I can bare being paired with Sera, one last time," Izol gagged. Blade turned around and continued to walk the trail.

"Follow my lead," Usually when someone says that, it goes horribly wrong. Izol, despite having some problems with the plan, just decided to follow in his footsteps, literally. At least, when it was all over, she can go back to Aquacorde with her dearest friends. Maybe even take Blade and Leaf, with them.

"You're the leader. Just as long, as we are in that tower, can we be partners," Kite stated. Blade didn't have any problem with just being the guide, as long as there was a satchel of Coin, in the end.

"Yeah, Kite's just itching to learn about hairless monkeys," Sera pestered Kite's ideology and drive. Shortly thereafter, the four Pokémon approached the entrance of the tower, double doors, which were glass-panned and cracked diagonally. On opposite sides of the entrance were two guards.

On the left was an Electivire. He was big and burly, with two meaty fists. He had yellow fur with black markings covered all throughout his body. Electivire had an intimidating stare, showing off his angry, red eyes.

On the right was a Watchog. It was a bipedal rat creature with beating red and yellow, hypnotic eyeballs. His fur was an ugly mixture of red and brown, with white and yellow strips. It was lanky, unlike Electivire.

Blade tilted his head at the entrance, signaling the others to follow suit. Before he could enter, the guards stopped the Servine. "Off limits. Turn back and go to Ecruteak City," The Electivire stated, watching Blade staying perfectly still, not budging an inch.

"We were sent by the... Sergeant... to stand guard on the Rainbow Wing. We have authorization to go in. Step aside!" The guards were still a bit skeptical.

"Who were you sent by? Sergeant Tank gave us this post, but Sergeant Kryon sent in one of her small squads, of about five, to keep guard inside. We never got the memo, others were coming," Watchog pointed out. The trio knew that this plan was going to shit, but they sat around to see if Blade could pick himself up. _Don't say Tank. Don't say Tank._

"Sergeant Kryon sent us here. He decided that we needed more than five soldiers to stand guard. We can carry on from here," _Phew. That was close_. Electivire and Watchog snickered to themselves with Izol putting on a puzzled look.

"Funny, you say that... Because there is no Kyron!" _That makes things, awfully inconvenient. We're screwed_. Both guards cracked their knuckles and let out a wicked smirk. Blade sighed at his mistakes before he tried again to redeem himself, despite how fruitless the endeavor was. "State who you are or we will use lethal force!"

"Okay, between you and me, we are hired mercenaries by the General to check the maintenance of the Tower, by trying to break in. Let us in, so we can check the maintenance of your guards!" Watchog's eyes glowed, brightly. _He's still trying to convince them, otherwise. I can't tell if Blade's stupid or persistant. Probably stupid._

"Bullshit. Last chance! State who you are or we will _kill_ all of you!"

"Way to go, Blade. You aren't the convincing type, are you?" Kite groaned.

"Yeah. You kinda shot yourself in the foot," Sera followed up, doubting Blade's persuasion skills. Izol was getting fed up of waiting around for Blade to turn the tides and took matters into her own hands. _Looks like, I'm needed._ Izol lifted her hands in surrender and approached the Electivire and Watchog. The Sneasel was surprisingly mellow and straight.

"Guys. Guys. Let's just get along. Can we leave, in peace?" Izol came to the rescue, taking the spotlight from Blade and his failing attempts.

Electivire nodded, "We can't risk you going to the outside with the information about the Bell Tower. Plus, you can thank your friend, here for your demise," Izol smiled innocently, trying one last time to persuade them, out of it.

"Come on guys, it's not like you'll tell anyone about this situation, right?" Izol interrogated.

Watchog was confused, "What makes you think, we won't, you odd-looking Sneasel?" Izol sighed. _Fine, you asked for it._ Before the guards could notice, Izol attacked.

In a glimpse of a second, Izol sliced through the open air with her sharp claws, cutting against the neck of both, Watchog and Electivire. The wounds were gushing a red, clunky substance like a faucet before they fell over to the ground, trying to grasp onto any remaining air. But it was useless.

_"Because you won't be alive to tell anyone_!" Izol answered their question. Blade was surprised at this brutality, but not so much Kite and Sera.

Watchog immediately died, laying in the pool of his own rapidly flowing blood. Electivire was struggling to stay alive, holding the gaping wound on his throat with one hand, which wasn't helping since blood seeped through anyway. He was trying to make out his final words.

"You little, stubborn bit-" Before he could finish that sentence, Blade struck his forehead with his chlorophyllic sword, finally shutting him up, for good.

"That's about enough out of you."

Blade pulled out his sword and the strike in his forehead bled out and Electivire's body became completely still and lifeless.

"That's one way of doing things," Kite murmured. Blade frowned at the sight of the dead, two bodies and turned to Izol.

"What ever happened to the plan?! We were supposed to convince them to let us in, not kill them!" Blade nagged, swiping his sword to clear the blood off of it. It didn't bother Blade that he had to kill someone, but more the fact, they didn't stick to the original script.

"Your plan wasn't working! It was either them or us!" Izol wiped away the fresh blood of her claws, by smearing her talons with her palms. "Besides, how were we supposed to waltz out of here with the Rainbow Wing, if we didn't take care of these guards?"

"She has a point. We were gonna have to kill em' anyways, why wait later?" Sera debated. Blade sighed, as he retracted his Leaf Blade, staring at the bodies.

"We need to get rid of this, now" Blade affirmed.

"Why do we need to do it, now? We can come back to it, once we have the Rainbow Wing!" Sera continued, making his way to the entrance. Kite smacked the Quilava across his head with his painful claw, without cutting him.

"If there's someone else out here, then what are they going to do, when they see _**TWO DEAD BODIES**_ lying on the floor, in front of the tower?!" Kite shouted, pulling Sera from entering the tower. Blade examined the bodies, rubbing his head and chin, conjuring up a solution.

"We need to completely degrade their bodies, so they're practically nothing. The only problem is that I don't know what I can use to dispose of them," Without a moments thought; Blade, Izol, and Kite all stared at Sera and his ever-burning flames, searing from his body cavities.

Sera, in turn, responded with what he thought they wanted, "What? You want me to take care of it?"

"Well, you are the only one with an attack that melts solid rock," Izol pointed out, sniggering in the process. Kite shrugged.

"Yeah, you think, you can do us this tensie favor, real quick?" Kite smiled faintly at the annoyed Quilava, who really didn't feel like doing at all.

"You are the man for this job," Blade commented. _Just do the damn thing, already._

"Fine. Fine. Whatever. Two piles of ashes, coming right up. But, I'm _NOT_ your _'Dead Body Disposal Service_' whenever you need me. So don't get it twisted!" Sera cracked his knuckles and filled his cheeks with red-orange flames, then positioned himself, so that he was facing away from Bell Tower.

Blade, Kite, and Izol stepped aside from Sera's Flamethrower range, before he blew out a flurry of sticky, hot substances, all over the two guards. Once he pulled the flamethrower back, Electivire and Watchog's bodies burned to a crisp into nothing remained but two sets of black ashes.

Blade was impressed, "Those are some destructive flames. That worked out perfectly. So let's hurry up and get that wing!" Sera wiped his mouth from soot, before yawning.

Kite grinned, "That's what happens when you stick around with us. Our methods may seem unorthodox, but we get the job done!"

"No kidding. Is Izol always like that?" Blade was pointing at the odd, discolored Sneasel, clawing at the wall of the tower, sharpening her claws and enjoying every second.

"All that in a nutshell," Kite confirmed. Izol finally opened the glass doors and waved the boys to the inside of the tower, eyes closed and wide grin.

"Ladies first!" Izol joked, wiping away tiny particles of leaves from her nose, before sneezing. "Sorry, about that."

"You're the only girl, I see," Blade said. _Was that a double-meaning?_

"Are you _flirting_ with me or did you seriously not get the joke?" Izol teased. Blade blushed, ferociously nodding his head against the idea of flirting.

"No-no-Nononono! I meant it as I didn't get the joke!" Blade rejected. Izol held her elbows behind her head, laughing innocently.

"It's okay if you like me. I promise I won't bite down too hard, if you catch my drift," Izol winked, pointing out some weird innuendo, that Blade didn't immediately catch. Kite laughed at the expense of Blade's embarrassment and joined along.

"We saw how you were eying Izol, just a few minutes ago," Kite wrapped his arm around Blade's shoulder, who was shaking.

"No, that isn't what I meant!" Blade attested.

"Come on. You just asked if Izol was always this upbeat. You obviously want to know her more!" Sera included._ Aww, Blade's so sweet._

"No. It's nothing like that!" Blade nervously shook.

"Is it because I don't look like a normal Sneasel?" Izol pouted, making note of her Shiny and normal color crossbreed. It's probably because of that. I wouldn't blame the poor guy.

"It's not that, at all!"

"So you think Izol's pretty, good-looking?" Sera stuck his tongue out, nudging him on the shoulder. Blade smacked himself in the face, smearing it down, slowly.

"Can we just go in the tower, before we get caught?" Blade asked, annoyed. Izol waved her hand in the interior of Bell Tower.

"Ladies, first!" Sera smirked, as the boys walked inside the tower, ready to take on the challenge of finding that Rainbow Wing.

"Blade has the hots for Izol," Sera haggled, once more, before entering behind Kite.

_**"NO I DON'T!"**_

* * *

**Bell Tower 1F**

The interior of Bell Tower was surprisingly barren for what the outside held. It was all clad in decorative Japanese wood, with one ladder at the very back of the floor. A large, wooden pillar was bolted, resting in the center. There were five, stone statues, but they didn't resemble anything, worthwhile.

The cool, drafty air formed Bell Tower's cold, atmospheric feel. Other than that, Izol wasn't sure, whether to be disappointed or curious as to what the rest of the tower held.

Standing in a small pact, reminding themselves, what they were going to do. More or less, Blade was driving that point home, "Since someone didn't follow the plan, it won't be too long until someone notice that those entrance guards are missing. Because of that, we're on a time limit. You all remember, _right_?"

Izol rolled her sparkling, golden eyes, "I only went against the plan because it failed. And yes, I remember! Do you feel the need to remind every second?!" Blade affirmed her suspicious, via a simple nod. Kite looked around their space, before talking, again.

"The plan is that you and I stay here and watch, while Sera and Izol goes to the sixth floor and press the button," Kite reminded Izol and Sera.

"I'll be right here, so if we can't pull it off, we'll have a quick escape. Just be careful, I don't feel like getting caught with _you_ of all people," Blade walked over to a blank wall, on the northernmost section of the floor and sat down, reinforcing his Leaf Blade out. _That guy seriously needs a girlfriend. It'll lighten him up. _Izol thought, giggling to herself._ Oh well, not my problem_.

Blade continued, "Kite, watch the entrance for anyone!"

"Got it," Kite went ahead and stood at his post, near the entrance, watching out the glass-pane double doors. Sera and Izol didn't need anyone telling them, what to do, they just trekked up the ladder, as Blade stopped them, once more.

"Try not to be too reckless. I don't feel like cleaning after you," Izol wasn't taking any more crap from him and just climbed to the second floor. What a buzzkill, I would mangle him, if he wasn't helping us. Sera let on a cocky grin directed at Blade.

_"We'll be back for that Rainbow Wing before you know it. Chao!"_

* * *

**Bell Tower 2F**

The Sneasel and the Quilava started their climb on the second floor of the Tower. Nothing was too new here. The room was shaped like an "I", with wider sections on two ends and a narrower path sliced through the center. Again, the wooden pillar stood. On the bottom-center of the place was another ladder, that would lead them to the third floor.

The only thing standing between them and that ladder were three Raticates, swarming the hall like they owned it. As soon as the two Pokémon, so much as stepping a foot in there, the rats turned around and ferociously charged at them. Sera and Izol both knew how to take care of it.

The Raticates charged headfirst into the battle, and just as quickly, Izol cut through two of them, leaving the last one to be burned by Sera's scorching heat. Two Raticates scurried away with a long mark, slashed across their body, dripping drops of blood. The last one crawled in the fissures, with its hind burned black.

Izol looked at the bodies on the floor and laughed.

"If these are the guards, we have nothing to worry about, Sera!" Sera was still more than skeptical about what lay ahead.

"I don't think those were any guards... Are you sure about this?" Before Sera could compute anything about this job, Izol was already across the first floor, her right palm on the wooden ladder.

"_HURRY UP, SLOWPOKE! WE WON'T GET THE RAINBOW WING!"_

"I think one of these days, Izol is going to give me a heart attack," Sera mumbled to himself.

* * *

For what they tasked themselves with, Kite and Blade were very bored. Waiting for some hidden corridor to open was just about as interesting as watching paint dry. Any excitement would come from any creeks or small sounds that made them paranoid that someone was entering. Therefore, Kite did what any sensible person did in this sort of situation: Small Talk.

"So, what brought you here to Ecruteak?" Kite started. Blade was trying to pass the time, by slicing against the wall with his Leaf Blade, when Kite asked him. He stopped.

"Well, I'm just like you, trying to get by any way that I can. I just go where it's best for my little brother," Blade was referring to Leaf, the small Snivy that stalked him everywhere. But he didn't mind too much. "He's my pride and joy, he's the only one I have left. If it means that I need to die to make sure he lives a better life, then so be it," Blade had on a slight smile, just thinking about it.

"You still dodged my question. Why are you here?" Kite asked again.

Blade sighed, "I had my eyes on the Rainbow Wing for a while. I sell a lot of junk I find on missions. Mainly odd, colorful stones. However, he really wanted me to find this 'Rainbow Wing' for him, said that I will get a lot of money from it. So naturally, I took the job, hoping to finally settle down after this was over."

Kite immediately thought about how himself and the others, wanting to settle down with the money, they would earn from this job. Blade was no different from him: An ordinary thief with intentions to get money and ultimately, live a different life.

And it was at that moment that Kite thought of something. _He and Leaf should come with us after this over. **Maybe**._

* * *

**Bell Tower 4F**

"Woohoo! This is such a rush! Easiest lifetime earnings, I'm ever gonna get! Sera, stop slouching. We got business to attend to," Izol's eyes were sparkling from sheer excitement and her legs were jumpy, ready to jump thousands of feet, if need be. Izol had the energy of a wild horse, ready to be released from the race gates.

On the other side of the spectrum, Sera was tired and winded. He was curled over on the floor, smearing it with flames and ash. "I can't go on, this is the end for Sera. I never thought I'd die this way. **GO ON WITHOUT ME!"**

Izol took leaps over the maze-like platforms scattered throughout the floor and picked up the rodent's fainting body. "Don't worry, Izol's gotcha covered!" _What is this chick talking about?_

With three quick moves, she forced open Sera's jaw, cut the wrapper of a Rare Candy and shoved into his throat, getting her pink paws wet with his saliva and spit. Afterwards, Sera coughed a couple times, before his flames burned anew and he was packed with energy... and anger.

**"**WHAT THE HELL?! Why did you shove candy down my throat?!" Izol stretched her arms and legs, raring for a chase.

"If you're so mad, then do something, you fiery, little rat!" Sera's eyes began to twitch, as his flames erupted ferociously, catching a few things on fire, for a brief second.

"Wh-What did you call me, Izol?" Sera clenched his tiny fists, in a livid manner. Izol thought that it should wake him up, if anything else didn't, at this point in time.

"A fiery, little rat!" Izol, upon saying those words, darted over to the ladder, that led to the fifth floor. Sera, angry and murdeous, chased after the deformed Sneasel with flares of flames, tracking his running speed, lifting up a pillar of smoke.

_"Get back here Izol, you stupid Sneasel!"_

* * *

**Bell Tower 1F**

Meanwhile, Blade continued his explanation while keeping watch of the secret corridor that was supposed to open.

"So I came here, Ecruteak City, with absolutely no knowledge on the wing, whatsoever. I asked the townsfolk, no use. The only clue I had, was rumors of some weird button on the sixth floor. And from there, I just stormed the tower. I ended up reaching the sixth floor and naturally found nothing, but I started to feel around the walls and-"

"You found the switch," Kite took a stab in the dark.

"Yep. Completely by accident. But that's when things got a little hairy for me... Someone caught me. And then we fought, and then I lost..." Kite wasn't too surprised by what he said, but he gasped to give his false sympathy.

"So... you were let out with a warning?" Kite finished.

"Yep. Sure was. But they said, if I came back, they would arrest me. So I've been stuck here, ever since, conjuring up some plan to go back in with. Which sucks since no one listens to the damn plan, anymore!" Blade complained. Kite hovered over to Blade's side, who was just sitting in an odd positioned, with his legs crossed and his Leaf Blade, which lies flat before him.

"That's Izol for you. She has her own method of dealing with problems," Kite defended.

"No offense, but the other two won't last a second, if they don't think over the consequences of their actions. It must suck to be the only level-headed one in that group, huh?" Blade concluded.

"Nope. We're smart when we need to be. But most of the time, we don't need to because our methods work much better. Sure, our methods can be perceived as dumb and unorthodox, but who said that cutting corners on a plan, meant it was a bad plan? That's why despite how insane they drive me sometimes, are alright," Blade snickered.

"That was extremely cheesy. It won't excuse the fact that you guys won't last long if you ditch normal concepts. And that's the truth," Kite knew he didn't get his point across clear enough, so he gave up and returned to his post.

* * *

**Bell Tower 6F**

Izol was feeling against the wall for any sign of an invisible button. But she didn't get anywhere, with trying to locate it. It didn't help that she had been completely revitalized and energized. _Why is it so hard to find a damn, invisible button?_

Sera's face was being shoved against Izol's palm, as he was rushing in to pound her, still. He was obviously, still angry about that insult. "Sera, stop messing around and help me find this button. I can't seem to find it, anywhere!"

Sera calmed down and frowned, "We're on the sixth floor already?"

"Yes, dummy. Now help me find it, I'm getting sick of this place already!" Sera spotted Izol behind him and approached the large wall, before him. He cracked the bones of his neck and fingers.

"Izol, you're approaching this wrong. Do as I do!" Sera cleared his throat before staring intently at the wall. "**OPEN SESAME**!" He pressed against the firm wall, and tried to press the button...

_Nothing happened._

Sera sighed, "I was for sure that was going to work. Let me try again! 'Never give up' is my motto," Izol sniggered as Sera positioned himself to the left.

"It won't work, Sera!" Izol bragged. _If I can't do it, Sera surely can't. I'll just wait._

"Alright. Again! **OPEN SESAME!"** Once more, Sera pressed his palm against the firm wall, and tried to find the pressure to activate the button...

The ground began to shake, as Izol gazed at Sera with the outmost surprise. That was unexpected. "It worked?- I mean, YES. IT JUST TOTALLY HAPPENED. IN YOUR FACE!" Izol shrugged and faintly grinned._ I know when I'm wrong._

"Let's hurry up and meet up with Blade and Kite!" Izol said.

_"Right!_"

* * *

**Bell Tower 1F**

Blade unsheathed his Leaf Blade, as a door, slid open to a dark room. Nothing was visible to the Pokémon's eyes, but he was prepared for the worst. This was the closest he's gotten. "Kite over here! Let's get this thing and head out!"

Kite was flying behind the Servine, awaiting a signal to move forward. Blade was focused on the dark room, not letting anything bypass his focus. However...

He heard nothing, not a sound in the world. It was odd to say, nonetheless. Kite was astonished by this news, as well. _That's weird. To think I thought I would have to fight._ Blade smiled and put away his Leaf Blade and yawned.

"I was expecting something a bit more grand than that... but hey, we ain't got nothing to worry about. So, let's just head in and get that w-" As soon as he said that, a Shadow flew at Blade's face. At the last moment, Blade dipped his head to the side and dodged the ball-sized monstrosity.

"Shit!" Kite _didn't _dodge, however.

The Shadow Ball clipped the Flygon in his face and made his tumble backwards into the wooden pillar, centered in the tower. Blade, without a moment's thought, revealed his hand by showing off his organic katana. "You just had to jinx it, Blade!"

"So this is what the guards meant by someone sending in a small squad to guard the Rainbow Wing!"

A shadow manifested from the dark corridor. It was a ghost that was taking control of a bronze mask, which was a mark, slashed through it. Kite and Blade knew his Pokémon as a Yamask. He seemed friendly, for an enemy.

"Hello, you may call me Elin! I see that you guys made it! Congrats! People should be acknowledged for their efforts. However, we can't just let you have that wing. Hand yourself over or prepare to die!" The Flygon recovered as he noticed what Elin had specifically said._ "We"?_

Another voice was heard from beyond the shadows before they made themselves known. This voice was gentler and kinder. "Please don't make this harder on us, I don't want to hurt you..." This Pokémon was a Taillow, a small bird with blue fur and small white and red patches.

"We aren't leaving here, without that wing!" Blade got in his battle position, pointing the tip of his sword at his opponents. The Taillow sighed in grief.

"I was afraid, you'd say that. Fine then, I'm Skylar, and I'll be your opponent!"

Kite panted and amped himself for the battle, that was about to ensue. "Ready? This is probably going to be our last battle before we can retire from this business. Don't choke up!"

_"Like I will. Bring it!"_

* * *

Izol and Sera had their hands full with one Pokémon, in particular. It was an ordinary Plusle, except it had a large six-inch gash across the left side of her face and a green bandana on her neck. She was giving the two Pokémon quite the workout.

She had out-maneuvered every attack Izol and Sera through at her and slowly tried them out. Izol missed her claw attacks by accordingly slicing onto the wooden flooring below. The Plusle even managed to get away from Sera's intense Flamethrower.

"Give up! This battle was finished, the moment you walked into this tower. I planned ahead and reassessed your skills into my scheme. You are out-classed!" Izol wiped away the sweat, forming on her forehead and wiped it off quickly. Sera was panting from the difficulty she was giving them.

"As if! Saki right? This is probably the most fun I had in a battle for a good while. But I appreciate it if we both show each other our full potential!" Izol's fist became enveloped in a chilly current, nearly becoming frozen. "I show you mine, you show me yours!"

Sera nearly gagged at the sight of Izol's attack, "Ice Punch? Saki must really be giving you trouble, Izol!"

"Hardly. I just want to see, what she's made of, when I actually try!" Saki electrified her cheeks and created a lot of static electricity, making her more and more hazardous, with each second.

She was starting to get annoyed by these common thieves, "I didn't get my high-ranking position as a Corporal for nothing. You two will be coming with me, alive...

_**Or dead!"**_

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**Cliffhangers will be cliffhangers. It's almost that time, where I must reevaluate my priorites and go back to mainly writing Chronicles of Fate: ELPTA. So don't expect as many frequent updates. But at least you can have an idea for the story. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, BUT it couldn't be possible without the OC's of We're All Okay (Skylar), OPFan37 (Elin), and kitsunelover300 (Saki)! But it won't be as cool as the next chapter *hint*hint*. With all of that said, I'm out!**

**You guys either had a vague idea of what will happen or something creative for Bell Tower :). **

**QOTD: Because of what I had planned for the story, this will be rated M...maybe. I have slightly he****ld back dialouge and actions, since it will be too much for T. Should this be an M story, or is it fine as it is? If M, don't expect extreme adult actions, like lemons, but expect extreme violence and very coarse language, in the long haul.**


	7. Chapter 5: Clipped Wings

_**A/N:** Ello! The time has come for the next chapter! YEAH! This is (thus far) my proudest chapter, I've written. Yes, I think its that good. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. YOU'RE THE JUDGE! I can't believe the continued support for this story. It really makes me want to review the stories of all my reviewers. That's something I'd have to think about. This chapter is 5.5k words, I believe, so it may be lengthy than usual. And if you're confused about the chapter name, **ALL** will be explained. _

_And I cannot stress enough that you **READ THE FOOTNOTE In THE END!** I'm not yelling, just emphasizing. Hope you like what you read. **ENJOY :)**_

**_Thanks to: We're All Okay, Cottonmouth25, The Gentleman Ghost, Someone(Guest), reven228, Guest, 666funtimes, Ckbrothers, and Crazeguy for their awesomely awesome reviews!_**

* * *

"Tell me, why do you want that wing so badly? It is of no concern to you. Why do you push so hard for something you cannot have?" Saki stood there, motionless... Cold, and completely disinterested with what Izol had in store for her. Izol stood there, panting... Exhilarated, and completely ready to knock this Plusle, in her place. But something about her- whether it be those cold, fluorescent, pitch-black eyes or that intimidating stare.

No, that couldn't be it. Could it? A species, as innocent as a Plusle, giving off an aura of profound strength. _No_. They refused to believe it. _"It couldn't be..."_ Sera thought to himself. _"It's possible to a Plusle to be this strong?"_

But it was, though.

Saki had some authoritative stature that gave off something frightening. Something that embodies the very definition of power. It was something Izol hasn't fought before. Naturally, the Sneasel's guard was up, more so than usual. It was kill or be killed and Izol couldn't hold back, anything. She seemed more worried about being beaten than the state of her friends.

Saki was waiting for Izol's answer and unlike her, Izol didn't plunge in headfirst. But this genetically mutated Sneasel was becoming irritated, twitching her frozen, clenched palms with anger. "Why the hell, should it matter?! We need to do, what needs to be done, to help us survive!"

"Then why put yourself in danger like this? You are thieves, you must have a decent wage for what you were doing. Are you familiar with the story of Icarus?" The atmosphere died, as neither knew who this "Icarus" was. _I don't think so. Have I' met an Icarus_? Izol reflected herself. Saki just sighed, irritably, at the revolution of their ignorance of the famous story.

"It's a 'Human' story. The reference is lost on you," _Of course, it's a human story_. "Now, answer me. Why do this? You cannot hope to defeat me. Not here. So, give up. I don't feel like exposing you to the helpless weaklings, you truly are," Sera's flame broke out at Saki's final attempt to sway their decision.

"Sorry, but we have our own obligations. If we don't have that wing, we're not leaving," Sera refused, prompting Izol to crack the bones on her neck, and snap together her knuckles, weary of waiting on Saki to make her next move. _One Ice Punch. That's all I need to take this bitch down_. Only problem is how I approach Saki. _From Front?_ Even from where Izol was standing, she can feel a bunch of an electrical fuzz. The Sneasel immediately rejected that plan.

_No._

_Above?_ Looking at the ceiling, a small cloud formulated, striking miniature lightning bolts.

_Nah._

Izol grinded her feet on the wooden walkway, ready to make the first jump, to annihilate her opponent. That's it! "Saki, you're starting to become a pest. Just battle or don't say anything at all!" At that cry, Izol lunged herself at the crimson, Electrical-element Pokémon, aiming her destructive and snowy strike.

Time itself seemed to slow down at the attack. Saki slid one foot back, a couple of inches and focused at the chaotic Sneasel, charging her Ice Punch while pressing her feet down for a leap, that would dodge the incoming Flamethrower. "Hmph. They're trying to triangulate on me," Saki recollected her surroundings. "If that's the case, then this should suffice."

When Izol slammed her Ice Punch on one of Saki's body, the apparition completely dissipated. She frowned, searching her surroundings. Izol smelled the draft in the air. _Something's burning..._ And then she out two and two, together._** OH, CRAP!** _At the speed of her thought, Izol jumped out the way, avoiding Sera's attack, that she almost forgot about.

"SERA! You almost hit me!" Izol complained, shaking her arms, wildly in the air.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Princess. My Flamethrower just so **HAPPENED** to get your way, and therefore I'M wrong. Sorry!" Izol face grew suspiciously serious for one second.

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm, Sera. Don't you see that we're in a life or death situation?!" Izol scoffed.

"You're the one to talk about sarcasm, you half-pint. By the way, on your 6'o Clock," Sera warned his partner. With one quick nod, Izol forced herself in a full, half-circle, swiping her claws against Saki's body, slicing the small, dainty Pokémon into two.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you!" Instead of splitting Saki's insides over the entire floor of Bell Tower, it just disappeared into a clear smoke. At the sight of the afterimage, both thieves were in complete shock._ Huh? It wasn't her?! Then where is she?_

"Above you." Saki flew down from the ceiling, embedded with electrical energy on both of her gigantic and unnatural ears. She was directing her next blow at the Sneasel, obviously trying her best to disorient her. But Izol was no slouch, when it came to speed, grinning wildly. _She's fast, I'll give her that. But Saki's insane, if she thinks she can take me down, this easily._ Izol charged up another Ice Punch, as quickly as she could, before whacking the air with a hard slug, again.

Wide-eyed and crushed, Saki found herself struck, in the gut, with a chilly current running down her back. The electrified air toned down more and the Plu lse's stomach caved in. Saki spat up a flurry of spit with Izol, victoriously posing. _**Gotcha!**_

"**UHG!** Dammit!" Saki cried in pain, watching as the wind was knocked out her and the Izol forcing her meaty, pink fist through her body.

"Didn't I tell you, not to fuck with me?!" With one move, Izol's Ice Punch completely annihilated Saki, leaving a gaping hole in her chest.

And when it all seemed over...

_*Poof*_

Saki's body evaporated into thin air, like boiled water evaporating to clean smoke. Sera took a double-take, sighting no sign of any Plusle. "This is starting to get annoying! Did she go back to the first floor, or something?" Sera's face formulated to an angry and puzzled face to that of confidence and vigor, "Beats me, I betcha Saki did back out, because she's scared to get beaten!"

Izol giggled, "You might be right for once, Sera. We should go back to help out Blade and Kite," Sera turned to the ladder, seemly calmer and more relaxed with Saki, out the picture. Or "out the picture" as Sera wanted to make himself believe. Izol stretched her arms behind her neck, yawning.

"It is disappointing that she had to up and leave us. Talk about RUDE!" Izol laughed.

"Hardly," Saki poofed out of nowhere and gathered a fair amount of ions to empower her positively-charged cheeks pouches. Static turned to white sparks, and those white sparks manifested into crisp yellow lightning. Although aggravated by her reappearance, Izol couldn't help but feel more satisfied that she still had a battle to fight in. "You're hardly worth my effort. I'll end you, now."

"I was worried, you'd chicken out on me!" Izol wound up her arm in a full, circular motion. "Glad to see that you didn't!"

* * *

**At the Same Time, Bell Tower 1F**

"I really don't want to hurt any of you. Please, don't make me do this..." Skylar was still trying her best to persuade the duo, think otherwise. Elin was tossing and turning her mask around graciously, polishing the bronze interior with his ghoulish exoskeleton. "Look, how about we don't give you the wing and you leave! Exciting, right?" Blade knew that she had been, the nervous type.

Her wings were shaking and her forehead wad producing sweat. The Tailow was seeking shelter behind her Ghost-elemental friend, what seemed to be a bit paranoid of Kite, in general. _Did I say something?_

Kite almost felt bad for the poor gal. _I know this Rainbow Wing will change my life, but I can't hurt anyone like her_. Blade didn't have those same feelings for them, anxious to get the fight going, right away.

"Throw in the wing and you have yourself a deal!" Blade affirmed his Leaf Blade, with the tip of the blade pointed outwards and strong, much like a samurai and his sword.

"Sorry guys, you can't have it both ways!" Elin wrapped his arm around the scared Skylar and eased her in the middle of the battle.

"It'll be fine, Skylar. It's only one battle, you can do it," Comforted, her wings glowed with a snowy light, sharpening and becoming more deadly.

Blade sighed, "So I _guess_ we're fighting then. But I can't, in any regard, take down someone as cute as-" Without any form of hesitation, the light cut through Blade's vision, striking his left cheek. He flinched backwards, hurt and spilling small hints of blood that was dripping out of his cheek.

"That was almost _too_ fast. We may have our work cut out for us," Kite noted. Blade held onto the scratch, Skylar buried on her wings beneath. I could barely see that coming, for a scared little bird, she's pretty powerful. Obviously, underestimating an opponent was one of the worst things, they could do. If there was a reason to why they guarded the Rainbow Wing, Kite knew that holding back would only spell his death.

"_Sorry_! Did it hurt?" Skylar asked. Blade wasn't as forgiving, this time. His voice turned from one of arrogance to a cold and into an unpassionate one.

"I officially take back, what I said. It's _on_, now!" Blade charged at the Tailow, first, leaving Elin with sloppy seconds. Blade's Leaf Blade connected with Skylar's Aerial Ace, creating the ear-piercing, metallic sound. The two sharp edges slid off of one another.

"I apologized, didn't I?" Skylar tilted her head.

The Yamask turned to his opponent. Even though, he couldn't physically emote it much with his mask, Kite could tell he was smiling through the infliction of his voice: Giddy and amped up action. "Are you ready for this? Sorry about the 'Shadow Ball cheap-shot' from before, I just couldn't resist it!"

Kite loosened his wings and crunched his talons into fists, again and again, getting used to the feeling of fighting, "It's fine. I'm just as hyped to get my hands dirty, too!" Kite darted at Elin and swiped his talons.

Elin, with one hand, grabbed his mask.

_*Cling*_. He blocked the strike, while holding his other noose of an arm near Kite's stomach, forming a ball by gathering all the shadows and spirits, then weaponizing it. Before the Shadow Ball was shot, Kite made a full turn around and swung his tail.

"Oh, poop," Elin gulped before taking the hardest hit of Dragon Tail, hurling him into the dark corridor, where he had come from. _Yes! It worked._ Kite caressed his scaly, moon-shaped crescent with joyousness.

"You never cease to disappoint, pal!" Kite complemented his tail. Skylar, who was still struggling to fight back Blade's Leaf Blade attack, saw her partner, struggling and cried.

"Elin! You okay? Don't worry, I'm gonna come help!" Blade shoved his blade further pass Skylar's wings.

"Your battle is on **_me_**. Don't lose your focus, or you might end up seriously injured- even _killed_!" Skylar glowered, piercing her eyebrows and tensing her attack. Blade forced himself upon the attack, even further, putting more of his strength.

"Stop talking to me, like I'm a baby!** I NEED TO HELP ELIN**!" Siphoning all of her anger and drive to help Elin, Skylar drove her wings upward and started to deter the Leaf Blade back, returning the durability Blade was putting into his approach. Blade took two steps back.

Then it was _four_.

Now, eight. Blade was being stopped by this one Tailow. The Servine was panting, "You're... pre-tty... strong for a... Tailow," Blade couldn't talk, he was being driven into a corner, not Skyla. Kite hovered over to the dark corner of the room, where Elin lay, nearly unconscious.

"Sorry about this, but I need to help him," Putting in her effort, Sklya sliced her Aerial Ace once, with a mighty chop. Her eyes were full of a burning, but scared passion.

And like that, Skyla cut the Leaf Blade, in _half_. The tip of the blade hurdled over the air and struck itself on the center column of the tower. Blade stared at his destroyed Leaf Blade, completely floored by this power. He saw the consequences of underestimating his opponent and he was going to pay.

"How do you cut through an energy-based sword?! How does that even happen?!" Blade complained, astonished. Skylar covered herself in a blinding light and rushed to Elin's side.

"Elin, are you alright?" Elin's ghostly body floated over in the air again, nodding with his disembodied, bronze plate.

"Yep! As healthy as a horse! That did sting a bit though," Elin rubbed the foundation of his cracked face plate and put it back on his face. "I guess that means you're pretty strong! That means I can get serious, if that's alright with you!" Skylar breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that her friend made it out, okay.

Blade's mind was still boogled, "How do you _break_ an energy-based sword?! I don't get it. Now, I have to make a new one and everything-" He stopped mid-sentenced, when he came across an important question, more so than something, as trivial, as his Leaf Blade.

"Why hasn't Izol and Sera return yet?" Blade questioned. "They should be back by now."

Skylar and Elin both giggled to each other. Kite was baffled, as to that question, as well. _Where did they go?_ This battle would be a cake with them around. And that is when the level-headed Flygon donged on something, so obviously apparent, it was crazy that Blade didn't account for it.

"So there's more of you..." Kite assumed.

Elin clanged his stubby hands against each other, making an annoying metallic clapping noise, **"**DING. DING. DING. Hit the hatchet on the head! Did you really not think of it, earlier?" Kite gave Blade a piercing, dead stare of passive anger.

"What? I thought there would only be low-tiered guards, up there," Skylar laughed at their poorly-conceived plan, wiping away the dust on her feathers.

"Sorry, but why would we have incompetent guards watch over the button, you knew about? Corporal Saki is taking care of your Sneasel and Quilava friends on the sixth floor, as we speak!"

Kite dropped his head down, groaning softly, "Only one? I think you're underestimating Izol and Sera."

Elin snickered underneath his breath, "I think **_you're_** underestimating Saki. She ain't no slouch."

* * *

**Bell Tower 6F...**

"You're hardly worth my effort. I'll end you, now," A small, exclusive storm cloud appeared over Saki's head, as the drafty air and the humidity, gave the red Plusle all she needed for her next attack. Three seconds were all Saki required, and then she fought back. Saki shot a bolt of electricity towards the seventh floor. Izol was anxiously waiting for the Thunderbolt to arch and aim its static at her.

"She's using a powerful attack, so this is the real-deal. I can get close to her, and then I can take her out from there" Izol contemplated to herself, rationalizing the full extent of their situation. _Now_-.

_*Zap*_. Static satiated the breeze and the Thunderbolt, came crashing down. But it didn't go for Izol. It decided to make its mark on Sera, who was anticipating the attack to strike Izol, not him. But there he stood, cloaked in yellow electricity and shocks of incoming static, shocking him continuously.

"SERA!**"** Izol cried out to the burning rodent.

"That's it for you, Quilava. You are in no position to fight," Saki had him pinned. She didn't let up on the attack, intensifying the Thunderbolt by increasing its size. "It will be over quickly, just stay still."

"Don't worry, I got this!" Izol was quick to rush at his side, before Sera stopped her.

"Wait, Izol. I got this! It doesn't even hurt!" Sera brushed off the damage he was receiving and burst flames from his body cavities. "That alone won't stop me!" Sera's mouth began to show something like red lava. "ADIOUS, SAKI!"

When he finished, Sera shot out a powerful ball of fire, too fast for even Izol to dodge on her own. Saki stood no chance against the attack, her body was shoved away in ash, as she flew to the westward wall of the sixth floor. As soon as the fireball collided with the wall, it burst into a flurry of a variety of flames, burning her skin from the inside out. Sera, who was tired and claiming victorious, stood there panting, his heart out.

Sera cleaned the sweat droplets off his brow, "It's been a while since I forced myself to use Fire Blast..." Izol sighed.

"It's a surprise, you didn't get to be finish her off, but it's better than nothing. I'm surprised that Thunderbolt didn't hurt at all!" Sera bragged, with his hands behind his head, sticking his tongue out at Izol. _He got one lucky shot and he thinks he's king of the world._

"This will hurt though," Saki appeared from a pool of white smoke and dug in her green bandana, wrapped around her neck. She tossed in the air, a sharp needle-looking object with blue goo, smeared on the tip. Without any time to react, Sera discovered himself stricken in the neck with an unwelcoming, sharp pain.

"_One down," _Saki counted_. "_And don't worry... I'm the real deal," Saki kicked Sera's still body off a vulnerability on the floor, causing him to needlessly fall back to the first floor. Izol's heart twisted itself, as she could only watch as Sera was taken advantage of and then just shoved off a crevice into the abyss below. Her fist became as hard as steel, from the way she was balling it.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!" Izol demanded from the Plusle.

"Don't worry, he's not dead. I sedated his raw, firepower with that needle. He probably passed out by now, but what should it matter. I lack any 'Strikers' that are capable of killing him, nor would I want to kill an opponent, that's weak. Same goes for you," Saki just stood there, doing nothing, nodding her head, not enjoying the battle at all.

Saki began to explicate her plans to the Sneasel, who was already agitated with her, to begin with. "I used Double Team to collect information about your assets. And to be honest, I'm not impressed. Oh well, I guess I should end this before it gets stale..."

Izol hastened herself upon Saki, trying to land one more punch, "You little pest, you're starting to piss me off!" Saki didn't do anything, she just forced her palm around Izol's Ice Punch, incapacitating her.

"And since this is the real me, this is going to sting... a lot," Saki sent a voltage across Izol's body, conducting a charge of electricity that could kill any, normal Pokémon. But Izol was clinging onto her dear life, firmly, even if it was hurting her, desperately.

"_Ahhh!** AHHH. Crr.. ap**_!" Izol yanked her arm away from the Plusle, ensuring that she would live for more time before succumbing to Saki's electricity. She just needed more time. More time was something Izol didn't have. Her body refused to move.

No limb was responding to her brain. And her brain wasn't cooperating with her limbs. She was a sitting duck and her opponent was standing, right there, not in the same position as the oddly-colored Sneasel was. Saki leaped off her opponent's head and curled up into an electricity-based ball of destruction.

"Don't tell me that you're at your limit, already? Don't you remember, 'I'll show you mines, You'll show me, yours!'. But, if this is it, I'm more than disappointed," Her cold voice didn't help Izol, as she couldn't move anything. Izol tried very hard to get something to work. Anything, to her was a grace.

_I c-c-can't move. Need to think of something... fast. Bu-ut I... I.. I can't do a thing._ Izol just waited for Saki to end it and Saki followed up with a Wild Charge. The ball of static electricity collided against Izol's sleek interior and crashed through the wooden floor of the sixth floor of Bell Tower.

Then the _**fifth** _floor.

And then tumbled through the _**fourth**_ one.

Now, Izol was crashing through the _**third**_ floor.

The Wild Charge shoved her into the _**second**_ floor. _Here it comes_... Izol braced herself.

And when Izol thought she couldn't take anymore of crashing through the floors like a Pokémon version of an elevator, the Sneasel landed on the _**first**_ floor, interrupting Kite and Blade's on-going battle. The wooden flooring toppled over the ground level.

* * *

**Bell Tower 1F**

Kite was immediately alerted by the Pokémon, taking their battle to the entrance level, "Izol! You too?! I didn't think that you would get beaten down, as well!" Saki gently floated to the ground and landed on Izol's caved-in chest. To her surprise, Izol was still breathing, she had that cocky smirk, she was usually known for.

Saki snickered, "I'm pleasantly surprised that a Pokémon, with no military training, can live an attack that powerful..."

Izol faintly laughed, showing how tired and worn-out she was, "That was... _hardly_... a _scratch_."

Blade swallowed hard at the cold stare of Saki and her daunting stature. Saki, then turned her attention at Blade, immediately recognizing him from the crowd of Servines, she ran into. "I should've figured it would've been you that did this. Didn't I tell you, not to come back?"

"Hmph. Yeah, you did. But, I'm not shying away, so easily. You'd have to kill me, before I think second about supporting my brother!" Blade pronounced. Elin waved his mask in the air, trying to get the Corporal's attention. She could barely see the Yamask, but Izol concluded that it was just best to lay down and do nothing.

Like, she was going to move, at all in the first place.

"Corporal Saki! How's it going?" Saki turned her attention to Elin and waved, before she frowned.

"What happened to Skylar? Did she leave?" Saki questioned her underling. Elin, for what seemed to be the billionth time, shined his dirty mask from wood dust by rubbing his black arms on it, before pointing in the dark corridor behind him.

"Ever since that Quilava showed up, she was hiding in the room. She refuses to come out," Elin seemed let-down that Skylar was afraid of Pokémon, like Sera.

**"NUH-UH. I'M NOT GOING OUT THERE. NOPE. NOPE**!" Skylar rebutted. Saki didn't mind her, at all. The Plusle continued to converse with the thieves, particularly at Blade and Izol, but Kite and the injured Sera were still listening in.

"I'll ask you this, one more time: why do you want that wing, so badly? It is of no concern for you. Why do you push so hard, for something you cannot have?" Izol lifted her head, fighting against the static, that was holding her down in place.

"I told you before, you brat! We need to do, what needs to be done, to help us survive!" Izol proclaimed. _I can't prove that, if I'm laying on the floor, like this. Now, I have to listen to this prick monolouge._ The doors barged in, as hordes of reinforcements arrived. The Pokémon arranged from Machokes and Growlithes, to Machamps and Arcanines. They were surrounded by all ends.

"If that's your answer, I'm afraid, you're going to die, here."

Kite shouted out before Saki could make the "Kill" call and take down her adversaries, "Blade and I are still in this! You can't take me down with Electric attacks!" Kite just said the obvious.

"Tell me something, I don't know, then maybe we can sit down and chat. But I'm more concerned with you, Blade. Why go through this trouble for a dead end? No matters, I'll leave you with one choice, because I feel bad for you:

You can _help_ with my situation and leave here with your life, or _die_ with the rest of them."

Blade held his repaired Leaf Blade, tightly. Staring back at Kite, Sera, and Izol, then staring at Saki, Skylar and Elin. He kept looking back and forth, starting to fumble his hands. His breathing became stronger and faster-paced. In his mind, he didn't want to betray the people, he had some connection with, in a long time. But Blade knew the right choice. And he needed to stick with it, no matter what happens to him.

He veered his head at Kite and sighed. Kite grinned, "Come on, we can take them. I've been itching to get in a good fight, lately!"

"_Sorry_..." Izol tried to get up and help her naive friend, but it was too late.

With one swing, Blade sliced Kite vertically across his sand-colored chest. A rope of blood was thrown from Blade's sword, opening a large and gaping wound, halfway on the vertical equator of his body. Kite bit his tongue, streaming more blood that he needed so badly, to stay conscious. However, he lost too much blood and Kite's disorientated state caused him to fall on the very tip of Blade's chlorophyllic attack...

Impaling him from the stomach, back. Kite started to cough up, thick blood.

_Kite... no, not like this_. When Kite fell nearly unconscious, hovering to the ground as his wings died out, Blade embraced his body, a large pause later and he lied Kite on the base. Izol wanted so gravely to get up and kill the Servine, but rendered immobile didn't help her any.

"**BLADE, YOU TRAITOR! IF KITE'S DEAD, I'LL KILL YOU!"** Blade turned away from the Sneasel and headed out the door, approaching the Machamp and Arcanine guarding the only entrance and exit.

**"DON'T YOU IGNORE ME, YOU ASSHOLE! YOU JUST MADE AN ENEMY OUT OF ME!"**

"Move," The two, new guards stepped out the way of Blade's path and allowed him to leave. He turned to Izol, one last time. Her eyes were filtered and fuzzed with tears, she was desperately trying to hold back. Blade could tell that it was becoming harder and harder for her to act tough. He just turned away and didn't think about her anymore.

"Blade?" Saki called.

"What?"

"_Don't come back_ to Bell Tower again. You won't get a third chance," Saki warned him.

"_Noted_."

"**BLADE! REMEMBER WHAT I SAID. YOU CROSSED US-ALL OF US! I WILL FIND YOU AND END YOU, YOU STUBBORN-**" Saki kicked Izol in her mouth, shutting her up with the best method of discipline there is: Pain. "_Uhg_! You did this, Saki. Don't think you won't get yours!"

"Shut up. You won't do a damn thing to him or me. He made the right decision. It's about time, you learned your place. And you want to know a secret?" Saki dug in her grass-colored bandana and pulled out something, unfamiliar to Izol.

It was a _feather_. It was shining as bright as a white, light bulb and was filled with many different colors. Lightweight and in the palm of her hands. But from the appearance, Izol knew exactly what it was. No mistaking it. That's the _Rainbow Wing._

"This is the thing that nearly took you all out. Take a good look, this is the Rainbow Wing. I had it, this_ entire time_. Do you even know, what it's used for?" Izol remained silent.

"Do you think we protect this Rainbow Wing for the shits and giggles? Do you think that as a Corporal, that I will just neglect my duties for three deliquents?" Again, Izol gave Saki the silent treatment.

"Of course, you don't. This may be the catalyst of destruction and you wouldn't know a thing. You're naive and that is what will kill you," _If I could move, you'd be dead. You're so lucky that I'm paralyzed._

"But I won't kill you. No. _I want to make you humble_, Izol. I want you to know that you or your 'gang' aren't the only one who struggles to survive. _Everyone does._ You are not exempt from the consequences," Saki snapped her fingers and the horde proceeded to start picking up the laid-out Sera and Kite.

Two Machamps grabbed Izol by her arms and began to carry her out. "Ouch. Guys, don't touch me in places, your mom wouldn't want you to touch!"

"Elin. Skylar. Let's go," Skylar crept out the dark hall slowly, to check if Sera was still in there. She smiled when she didn't see the Quilava, anywhere.

Elin tossed his mask in the air with celebration and happiness, "**WOOHOO**! _Mission successful!_ Good effort out there, guys! Corporal. Amazing as always. Skylar. Nice job with that Servine! I can say that we all put in our best work, today. Seargent Art would be proud! Now, let's go back to our base and eat, I'm starving!"

Skylar blushed, "Gee, thanks. It's only because I didn't want to lose one of my closest friends! I would be sad about Vix and Kyle's deaths, but those two were bullies to begin with. Plus, they were part of Seargent Tank's squad, not ours. So I couldn't grow any attachment to them."

As Skylar and Elin discussed their mission and their experiences, Saki was still in Izol's ears. She handed the Machamp guard the Rainbow Wing, "Put this in a better hiding place."

Proceeding onto Bellchime Trail, Saki continued her conversation with the discolored and beaten Sneasel. Izol took one good look at the two pile of ashes that remained of Vix and Kyle. It was almost a shame that she had to be the one to end them, especially when it was all for not.

"Have you ever read "_The Fall of Icarus"_? A friend of mine, an Abra, showed it to me. It's a good, human-read, if you ever learn to read human language. But I'll cut the middleman and tell you what happens," Saki cleared her throat before summarizing the story.

"So Icarus gets these pairs of wings, right? He was warned, not to go too close to the sun or his wings won't sustain the heat. So what does Icarus do? He flies to the sun. And when he got that close, SO CLOSE to touching crisp-heat with his bare hands, his wings melt and he _plummets to his death!"_

Izol had a perplexed expression on her face, as the Machamp squeezed her arm, "**HEY**! We are not in a relationship and we are not friends. DON'T SQUEEZE ME! But no Saki, I have no idea what that has to do with anything!"

Saki sighed, slowing down her pace so she was walking beside the Machamps, not the front. "I wonder if you came in Bell Tower with the same mentality as Icarus. You were told about the Rainbow Wing and got excited to sell it for a large profit, maybe even use it to settle down. You and your friends were then warned that Bell Tower was a dangerous place, yet you didn't heed those warnings. And then you got so close to the wing; pressed the button on the sixth floor and opened to door. But everything after that, went horribly wrong for you four. Your story here is not so much different from his!"

As much as Izol didn't want to admit it, Saki was spot on about everything. She- no, all three of them were so sure that they would be the ones that were different enough to prevail. However, after coming that close, not only did they fail, but they failed, badly.

Saki kept on, "I want you to take this analogy to where you are going. Nothing ever goes right in this world and _don't expect to be exempt from the horrors this world has for you. _Because you are no God and no different than any of us: Survivors."

Izol was caught up on one detail that Saki didn't elaborate on, "Where am I going?" The Sneasel said coldly and intimidatingly.

Skylar crept behind Izol, pointing her wing at the back of her neck, "It doesn't concern you."

With that statement, Izol felt a slight chop on her neck. It wasn't overly painful, but her vision started to fade out. Her eyesight felt as it was put through dozens of lens flares and water droplets. It looked like Bellchime was formulating tiny crystals.

She knew she was passing out. Izol was struck on one of her pressure points, courtesy of Skylar's Aerial Ace. _Was this how dying felt like?_

Izol wouldn't know. She hasn't died, yet. But maybe she was. She had no idea, what death felt like. Was it as much as an escape as this? Before passing out, Izol observed the wind carry the solemn leaves and the flakes of ash and azure throughout the autumn trail, one last time. Izol giggled to herself.

_"This is one hell of a story to tell Fickle, when we get back..."_

_**And then Izol's world turned black**_.

**DJTiki** _Presents_...

**Chronicles of Fate: Evolution of a Species**

* * *

**Prelude: A Grand Tale Begins... END**

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**Yep. Those six or so chapters were all just a prelude for the real story. NOW THE REAL STORY BEGINS! Do you get the chapter name, now? I hope you did, since it was triple-meaning analogy. I hope you liked this chapter, as much as I have, it took me forever to find a good analogy for Saki to acknowledge. I wonder what lies before me as a writer, as the days go by. But enough about that, I told you to make sure to read the end, so what is it about?**

**NOTHING THAT CONCERNS ANYMORE. With that said, thanks for the support and I'm out! Remember to leave thoughts, comments, and concerns in reviews!**

**Looks like the (slim) majority says keep it T, so I'll keep it like that (FOR NOW XD)**

**QOTD: Favorite moment of the Prelude Chapters? (Chapter 0-5)**


	8. Chapter 6: The Junkyard (Part 1)

_**A/N**: Remember when I said, this wouldn't be updated as frequently... yeah. Halfway in writing the next chapter of ELPTA, I realized how much more excited I was to write this instead. So here we are. Looks like something is getting more priority. This part will be sectioned off into 3 or 4 parts depending on my mood. One OC appears! WITH THAT SAID..._.

_**ENJOY :)**_

_Thanks to_ _**Cottonmouth25, 666funtimes, Someone(Guest), reven228, kitsunelover300, Error16, OPFan37, Crazeguy, Ckbrothers, RisingSerperior, Guest, and The Gentleman Ghost**_ _for their radical reviews!_ Fickle has a plush toy, waiting outside your door.

* * *

_Moon River,_  
_Wider than a mile_  
_I'm crossing you in style some day_  
_Oh, dream maker,_  
_You Heartbreaker_  
_Wherever you're going, I'm going your way_

_Two drifters,_  
_Off to see the world_  
_There's such a lot of world to see_  
_We're after the same rainbow's end,_  
_Waiting 'round the bend_  
_My Huckleberry friend, Moon River, and me_

_** \- Henry Mancini**_

* * *

**"Season I, Arc I: A Junkyard Full of Secrets"**

_One blink_.

One blink was all Izol needed to inform her that she was still alive. Her vision was distant and blurry, but it was enough visual feedback, to give her cues that "_Hey, Izol! Welcome back to the living!_". She stared solemnly at the floor, below her legs. It was nothing but silver and black, rusted metal, it wasn't very polished. Two little stubs on the bottom of her legs were present too. At least, her feet were still there. That's always good news. But was she... walking?

Her left leg lifted up and clanged to the ground, followed by the same action of her right foot. Yep, she was walking. Izol may have been alive, but she sure as hell didn't feel like it. Maybe she had just woken up from Skylar's Aerial Ace. Just by thinking over Skylar's Aerial Ace, began to turn the gears of Izol's memory. Through the process of elimination, she started to mark off her adversaries from before.

_Bell Tower._.. Two Guards.

_Sixth floor_... Secret Button.

_Saki_... Beat me to a battle.

_First floor_... Paralyzed.

_Elin_... Happy-Go-Lucky Ghost.

_Skylar_... Knocked me out.

_**Blade**_.

There it was. Izol knew now. _**Blade**_. That one name. That simple gesture started an entire chain of reactions. Just thinking about that no-good Servine angered her. "_This was all Blade's fault_," Izol thought. Everything became crystal clear; Kite being ripped apart by Leaf Blade, all three of them being carried out from Bell Tower, her talk with Saki, and then...

Nothing. Not a single thing.

_They must've knocked me out, so I wouldn't know where I was._ Her vision was starting to fix itself. She could finally see her toes, curling up to seek warmth in her foot. She had a clearer picture of her surroundings, now. The metal plating turned into a long hallway of metal, rusted bars. The floor looked shinier and recently polished. _But if they knocked me out, so I wouldn't know where I was, they did a good job._

She immediately went for her claws, feeling threatened. _Nope_. They were bound by some odd, metallic device. The claws of the device made sure that her paws, themselves, had very little movement. One claw for one pink paw, naturally. The only thing that allowed movement was the rusted but flexible chain, which allowed her to contract the distance between her paws, allowing arms' movements.

Behind each bar was a pair of Pokémon, doing whatever they wanted to do. They looked ruffed up and they had their faces planted on the bars, sticking their tongues out at the Sneasel. _Were they yelling?_ Izol couldn't tell a yell from an insignificant whimper. Her ears weren't cooperating with the rest of her body.

_Stupid, stubborn hearing is not listening to me_.

Audio feedback was just as important as anything else. Izol wildly shook her head back and forth, much like a dog would do, when it's wet from a bath.

Now she was "sort of" awake. Izol still didn't have all of her sensory abilities, intact. She still couldn't hear a thing, but now everything else seemed to work fine. But Izol still had that question. Why was she walking? Gazing upwards at a slower pace, she would find her answers.

Two, heavy Machamps. Izol recalled Bellchime Trail before then. There were two Machamps, then. _Were these the same guys?_ _Maybe_. She had no way of discounting it. But that isn't what interested her. Ahead of her was one guy. He seemed to be the leader of their small "Rat Pack". The Pokémon appeared like a juggernaut, who waters himself and bathed in sunlight for a living. He seemed like a gigantic plant.

A prominent dome was attached to his back, almost like it had armor. The dome was coated in green and red bands with large, hurty-looking spikes, protruding from it. Izol checked down at the big galoot.

It had a tail- a long one, in fact. It was completely green and looked just about as dangerous as he dome on its back. Izol has never seen this Pokémon species, before. But others knew him as a Chestnaught. Around that time, Izol's hearing began to return to her and her mouth softened up. She could now communicate.

When she unclogged her ears, Izol immediately regretted it. The guys behind the bars were yelling out to her, each with ulterior and disgusting motives. It was unnerving and discouraging. Izol shivered._ Great, I'm with a bunch of idiots. How befitting._

"'Ey, momma! Why don't you come ova here and I can show ya' a good time!" One crude Pokémon cried out. They were more of those than Izol hoped for. She just wanted it to end.

"You ain't nothing like any Sneasel, I've ever seen!"

"Meet me right here, tonight. And from the looks of things, you like it freaky!" Izol checked out her silky skin- her pink and black, silky skin. _In what ways, is my appearance, freaky?!_ But bound by those chains, the Sneasel could only listen and walk while guys said any number of things to her.

The Machamp looked at Izol, and tapped on the Juggernaut's shoulder, "Boss. She's awake."

The burly brute turned his gaze into Izol's crisp golden, diamonds. Staring fiercely into the windows of her soul. But by know means, did her eyes give him anything to work with. "Seems that you are awake. I was hoping that you stayed knocked out, until we get there. I didn't feel like hearing you!"

Izol frowned, "Well, good morning to you, too... What's your name again?" The juggernaut halted in his place, prompting the two guards to stop as well. The man's furry, tan face was smaller than the rest of his body, but he still looked more intimidating and pissed off.

"You will address and ONLY address me as Sergeant Tank. _Understand?_"

Sergeant Tank? Izol then remember a vital piece of evidence.

* * *

**Bellchime Trail...**

"Who were you sent by? Sergeant Tank gave us this post, but Sergeant Kryon sent in one of her small squads, of about five, to keep guard inside. We never got the memo, others were coming."

* * *

_So, this is Sergeant Tank. But why is he so peeved_? "Yeah. Yeah. I understand. What's your deal, buddy? Someone took a piss in your water hole, this morning?!" Tank wanted badly to choke Izol, but he held off for her arrogance and conceited nature.

"My deal? I'm sorry, but if I remember, you and your 'boys' lit a fire under my guys' ass! Who are you to talk about _ME_ being pissed?!" Tank shouted. Izol was really starting to piece together everything. That Electivire and Watchog. The two guards she had killed before entering the tower; it all made sense now.

"Well, they shouldn't have stuck their **_necks_** in a business that weren't theirs!" One of the Machamps snickered at Izol's joke. _At least someone gets my humor!_ Sergeant Tank was not assumed in the slightest.

"Did you know that Vix had a family? People he loved and a wife that cared for him?" Tank reminiscences about the perished Electivire.

"Looks like Vix isn't getting any **_head_**, where he's going, amirite?!" Izol paused. There was nothing but a long silence between the three. _Maybe my timing was off_. "OH, COME ON! You know it was funny! You guys are really **_burning_** me out on jokes, to use!"

"Those jokes were horrible!" Tank repented.

"It was a little funny, sir..." The other Machamp guard defended.

**"**SHUT UP!" Tank pulled out a small, worn-down, old key. "Do you know what these are for?" Izol stared down at her chains. It was more than condescending that Tank thought she was stupid enough to not realize, anything.

"No... I don't know what those are, do tell. The suspense is killing me." Sarcastically, Izol was attentive to the Sergeant's explanation. He flashed it, in front of Izol's eyes. Tank showed off what could be her escape plan, if she ever needed one.

"This is the keys to those handcuffs, you're wearing. Do you like them? The humans developed them. Of course, I have to release you at this point, in our little walk. BUT-**"** Tank started to dangle the key over his head, looking up to the ceiling. _No, he won't do it._

But he did do it. With one drop of his hand, he let the key drop into his mouth, gulping hard with one uneasy swallow. His neck bulged in an irregular manner and he choked it down. Izol wasn't sure to respect him or be very terrified of him. That or absolutely disgusted. Disgusted sounded like a viable option to the young Sneasel.

She cringed with disgust, "Ew. That's highly unsanitary..."

Tank pounded his chest, letting his digestive system take its course on the key. He might even have some serious, indigestion problems, in the near future. So Izol was more or less, sniggering at Tank's attempt to make her squirm, helplessly.

"Come back to me, in three days and I promise I'll have the key!" Tank thought that was funny, but he really only made a fool of himself by trying to act like a hard-ass. Izol didn't need make fun of him, thus she stayed silent, thinking over the others who could've very well died. Her heart became heavier and her lungs palpitated in abnormal speeds. "Corporal Saki, of Sergeant Artemis's squad, told me all about you three!"

At the sound of Saki, Izol was immediately all ears. She didn't want to miss any information about her friends. _Three? So he does know_! "What did Saki say about it? Anything noteworthy, at all?"

Tank smirked, realizing the meaning behind Izol's vague statement. "Aw, worried about your friends, aren't you? Then, I'm sorry to say that neither made it. It's a tragedy, really!" Izol grew livid at that statement.

**"NO!** You're lying! They didn't die! Not Sera... Not Kite," Tank nodded his head, rejecting her claims.

"They checked the heart rate of that Quilava and Flygon. Unfortunately, they didn't make it. Poor Flyon had it the worse, though. May their souls, rest in peace..." Tank's voice grew somber at the thought of Kite and Sera, even to the point of tearing up. When she saw him shed his tears, Izol's eyes watered up._ He's lying. He has to be. No way. _Izol then realized that this was most likely the truth._ Sera... Kite... I-I-I'm sorry, this is my fault, I should've known Blade would screw us over._

Hearing this made her resent the Servine more and more, to the point of absolute rage. Would revenge, even be worth it, if she went back for it? No amount of hatred and resentment could bring them back from the dead. Izol stayed silent the rest of the way there. Tank was happy to hear some silence from Izol for a while.

Her fist balled up, trying her hardest to not double over in tears, especially, in front of everyone. Izol had some sort of reputation to keep around, even if it was minimal.

"But you're going to have fun here, little Sneasel!" The four Pokémon, Izol, Tank, and the two Machamps approached a large set of metal doors, and a small hint of a bright, blinding light. Sunlight._ Sweet, sweet, sunlight_. Sneasel felt warmer by just seeing something outside the dim corridors of wherever the hell she was._ It's about time, we got to the end of this long hallway_.

"And I'm going where?" Izol fumed, still considering Kite and Sera's deaths. It was lingering over her head, like a bad berry. She didn't want to hear nothing from no one, anymore. Izol's demeanor grew serious and more intimidating, keeping a constant frown on her face, at all times.

When Tank and the Machamps slid open the expansive door, stretching nearly to the roof, he let on an abrasive smile, signaling that they had reached their destination. Considering that Saki and Skylar knew where she was going and gave her advice to run with, only made Izol even more curious. _What's the deal with this place? Why were they so secretive about it?_ Izol would have her doubtfulnesses, solved, when Tank motioned his hand to the outside.

_**"Welcome to the Junkyard!"**_

* * *

A shining light blinded Izol, as she stepped through the double doors. The floors still felt cold on her icy feet, so she assumed that wherever she was, she was still on solid metal. The air smelt nice. Strangely the air felt cool, as tiny pieces of something pelted her skin. When Izol's eyes adjusted to the light, there was a large main deck.

The main deck was completely clad in metal, like the one in the corridors, she was just in. However, there was no ceiling, only the open, blue sky. The main deck was filled with many sorts of Pokémon, talking with each other. North of the place was another set of double doors, which housed another set of rooms. Guards were posted everywhere.

But the point in which Izol was amazed, had been the ocean, where Izol was surrounded by all ends. The salty smell of the sea, resonating to her nostrils was a refreshing and enjoyable experience. And when the doors at the opposite side of the main deck swung open, Izol found that many people were in the same position, as she was.

What made this place bad? Why would she be warned about this so-called "Junkyard"? Ultimately, Izol's first impressions weren't all that misplaced. She liked it, here. But first impressions only go so far, that much Izol did know. Sergeant Tank introduced Izol to the place, where she would be staying for a while. "This is the Junkyard. I would love to enlighten you on what goes on, here, but frankly, I have more important matters to deal with. Goodbye!"

It wasn't too long before Tank left Izol to fend for herself. Izol felt cheated that she was put at a disadvantage, because of precedent bias. _Is he still made about Vix and whatever the other guy's name was? Who cares?_ But it also wasn't too long until Izol's vision dropped down to her paws, realizing that he didn't unbind her, for pure spite. She sighed.

"Oh no. I'm still bound by these 'handercuffer majiggors'. What ever will I do?" She was obviously being sarcastic, using the chains to contract the distance between her paws. She dug in the holes, where the key should've gone in, and fiddled around for a while. Izol concentrated, putting her tongue on the uppermost tip of her lip. "Come on... Come on..."

_*Click*_ "Aha!" The handcuffs unhatched and her paws were set free. Ah. Free at last. Izol was twirling around and cracking her knuckles, exercising her bad boys. "**WOO**! I did it! Man, I missed using these guys!"

She had never missed playing around with her claws in full motion, for so long. She held the handcuffs in her rose-colored hands. "I guess I should put you down in a safe place-" Izol didn't think twice about tossing the handcuffs into the ocean, below. "Whoops. I accidently dropped my handcuffs in the ocean. Whoopsydaisy!" The Sneasel exhaled deeply, looking over the vast skies and the faint, yellow horizon. She heard the waves of the ocean, brush against the Junkyard. It was the most

"Great, I'm talking to myself. I wish Sera and Kite were here. I wouldn't be so bored..."

*_BOOM_* The doors on the other side of the metallic boat banged open, as two guards, an Ambipom and an Ampharos were escorting, more or less forcing, a Pokémon out. The Pokémon was a cyan crustacean with two, yellow antenna on its head. It has one gaping claw, which was even larger than its own body. There were black bindings on its back and yellow eyes. On its gigantic claw was a red banana with skull and crossbones on it.

The two guards were struggling to get this Clauncher, out the door.

Ambipom had one of its large hands wrapped around the Clauncher, desperately trying to get her out by pulling her from the open door, "Boomer! This is... for your own good! Get out of there!"

"Not in a million-life years, ya' garbage-smelling pricklee wankas'!" Boomer spoke with a heavy, feminine accent, but was relaxed to the point where she didn't pronounce the full words. Humans called this an Australian accent, but what did Izol know, this was new and intriguing to her. "You'd have to throw meh, in da main deck!"

**"FINE!"** Ampharos slightly shocked Boomer with its electricity, immobilizing Boomer for a split-second. In that same time, Ambipom tossed the oddball from the corridors, into the main deck. "STAY OUT HERE!"

"You ain't worth the coral on meh launcha'!" Izol was astounded by this Clauncher. From her deduction, Izol assumed that this woman had to have been long enough, to help her. _Huh. Maybe might as well make new friends, somewhere._ Izol just shrugged and decided to go to her for some information.

"Hopefully, Boomer can give me-" Izol's self thought was drastically interrupted by a rude Pokémon who decided to tackle her. Izol slammed hard onto the ground, sending a sharp pain throughout her chest, and all around her body. Her vision was obstructed and she was being held down...

_By something_.

Izol was dazed, as she had been flipped around like a pancake in a skillet, seeing the face of her attacker. _Oh, god. Not this._ A jagged, blue face with monstrous jaws and monstrous claws. The tip of his head showcased a fin, of that of a red mohawk. This particular Pokémon was licking his lips at the sight of the Sneasel.

"U-Aug. Get off... of me!" Izol demanded.

"Oh, come on, babe. I've been waiting so long for a doll, like you, to come into my life. Why wait, when we can get things done, now?" The Feraligatr cooed, as he licked his lips. Izol stared at her paws, and began to slowly maneuver them towards the back of his throat. It didn't last long as the oppressor quickly stomped both her palms down.

"Don't be like that, darling. I'll be gentle. Pinkie-promise!" The Feraligatr leaned for a kiss, but Izol refused to take it.

Squirming Izol couldn't move at all, "You damn pervert! You have no sort of decency, at all!"

With his eyes filled with greed and lust, the Feraligatr proclaimed the position she was in, making it well aware why Saki put her here, "_You don't need have any decency at the Junkyard_! CLOSE YOUR EYES AND I'LL MAKE IT QUICK!"_ I don't need any decency... what the hell does that mean_?!

Izol couldn't fight against it, so she had to close her eyes and hope, it would all end soon. This was all a dream. I will wake up, in Aquacorde Town near her two best friends and we would go on a mission, like usual. It was a messed-up nightmare, while it lasted.

_I am in control of my own mind._

And Izol just let everything happen...

Almost. She heard panting. Heavy panting. Izol opened her eyes, very slowly. She didn't want to see something that she could never unsee. Carefully, Izol veered to her attacker. And to her surprise, nothing was going on. She wasn't even being, taken advantage of. Feraligatr was long dead.

_But, how?_

Izol sat up from the ground, cracking her back from the sharp pain being dispelled from being tackled. "Ow. Ow. My back... Dammit," A claw made itself known to Izol, holding out a gesture to pick her off the ground. Accepting, Izol found herself standing again, face to face with the Pokémon, she was meeting in the first place.

"Thanks about that. Did you kill him?" Boomer seemed puzzled, as if there was something Izol missed on the way, here. Boomer didn't say anything, as she thought it was a stupid question to answer. "By kill, I mean, why do it in front of the guards, you dummy?!"

"Ey, look. I saved you from being raped. I didn't have to, you know?!" Boomer bickered, angry about Izol's lack of any appreciation, aiming her launcher in-between her eyes. Izol got wide-eyed and vigorously shook her head, implying the exact opposite of Boomer was assuming.

"Nononononono, I didn't mean it like that, just that it seemed odd, that's all!" Izol nervously laughed. When Boomer repressed her large, claw launcher, Izol breathed a sigh of relief._ Can't go pissing off the people, who are going to help me._

Boomer scurried around the Sneasel, checking her out by all ends. From the front, back, and even the bottoms of her feet. "Herm, you haven't got any bumps, wears, tears, nothin'. Ya seem pretty fresh to me! Ya obviously new 'round 'these pahks. Ya probably got some questions to ask, too. So go ahead, I'm ears, mate!"

It was a pleasant surprise to hear Boomer say those words. She thought she was going to have to beg. Or threaten her. Either way, Izol was happy to get some answers about where she was. She started with her first question, the simplest one, she had in mind. "Where exactly, am I?"

Boomer laughed, completely astounded that Izol didn't realize, where she was. "You don't know? You're in The Junkyard, a maximum security facility stationed in the Hoenn sector!"

"M-M- Maximum Security? So I'm in jail?" Izol held down her head, before lifting it up with an insane amount of laughter, nearly choking herself. "That's it? What a joke! I can get out here, no prob. All it takes is one Flying-type, and ZIP!"

Boomer nodded her head, "Ya' think this is some sort of **"**_Ha-Ha, let's go out and get a couple berry mixes on the rocks, while we break out"_ type of maximum security facility? You are awfully mistaken, girl. Did you ever come to terms, why no one batted an eyelash while you were being sexually assaulted?"

That thought was just realized to Izol. _Why did no one help me, when that Feraligatr tried to rape me? Not even the guards_. Izol stared back across the main deck and then came to terms with what was going on, now that Boomer pointed it out. There were multiple dead bodies and fights going on. _Why couldn't I see it, earlier?_

The nature of this place was starting to unravel itself in Izol's head. Boomer scuffed, "You see it now, don't you? This place is the worst. Do you really think the inmates care about what they're doing? No guard gives a bloody damn about you. This place has only two rules:

_Don't try and escape!_

_Don't question the Warden!_

Everything else is fair game. You can die and the Warden would just use your corpse as a footstool. That ugly bloat always does!"

With that last statement, Izol had her next question. "Who's the Warden?"

"Big, ugly Pangoro. He's a creep and a pain. You don't get on his bad side, since it's easy to do so. He's doesn't give a rat's ass about sustainability, the Warden uses us as his personal slaves and toys. And I'm mean in its most literal sense! I want to kill the bastard, but I can't. If I'm ratted out, it's the bloody Room for sure!"

_The Room? That doesn't sound like a big deal. Maybe inmates always over exaggerate like this._ Izol snickered sarcastically, "The Room? That sounds SOOO scary. Pfft, whatever."

"Look. I've been here a while, so I would know..." Boomer coughed up some mucus and spat it out before she emphasized. "DON'T END UP IN THE ROOM! You're going to wish you died, any other way. I'm saying this for your own good!" All of a sudden, the very thing Izol mocked, became more intimidating. _Die any other way? What the hell happens in there?!_

*_BOOM_* Doors slammed open, hitting against some of the Junkyard's metal foundation. Out came three Pokémon, all standing in a triangular fashion, with the two lackeys being in the back, and the leader in the front. The two lackeys were a Rhyperior and a Golem. Both were Ground and Rock-elements and were large in size. They seemed ready for a fight and at the beck-and-call of their leader.

The leader was a bipedal Pokémon that resembled an animal, that humans called a Panda. It had a large, stocky, tan belly and a rough, black fur coat. Its eyes are pitch black and slanted. Its paws are also large enough to crush anything, as so his feet. In the Pokémon's mouth a green, leaf sheath.

All that topped off with one, cocky smirk.

**"LOOK ALIVE, JUNKIES**!" Everyone on the main deck stopped what they were doing and immediately stood still at the presence of the Pangoro.

Boomer glowered at the sight of him, "Speaking of the brute, here he is... Out of all the places you could've been jailed out, you were chosen to come here. Whoever arrested you was being a real arse."

That's when Izol finally clicked. It all made sense, now. _Saki_. Izol smiled at that specific thought, watching the Warden check out each and every inmate. _So Saki thinks that she can make me humble by putting me through hell, huh?_

_I may not have Sera and Kite by my side anymore, but she's going to have to try a lot harder, than this to break my spirit._

* * *

_One blink._

One blink was all the information Kite needed to know that he was still alive. He looked up, one blinding light lighting up his face. It was a tear on the eyes. He tried to flap his tired wings.

No movement.

But he could sit up. I guess that's a bonus. It was actually surprisingly soft, where he was sitting._ A mattress? That seemed odd_. But what was odd, the fact that he was on a mattress or that he has no idea where he was?

Kite shifted his focus to his chest. Bandages. Lots and lots of white binding paper and lots and lots of clear tape. It was wrapped around his whole chest, to his back, then finally to the front again. He was starting to get accustom to his body, again.

The talons are functional.

Feet are kicking and grooving.

It was just his wings. But maybe he just needed the rest. It did bother him that he couldn't fly, but what's the use of flying, when you're indoors. So it wasn't an aching pain, as his chest was, last time he was awake and well.

A small Pokémon walked in. It was an Audino. Flygon has seen plenty of these, before. So, he was kind of relieved when he saw that cute face, walk up to her patient, lying down on his cozy and snug little bed. "Hey, Kite. Welcome to the Junkyard! I'm Nurse Kain. Glad you could make it. We are usually forced to kill Pokémon that can fly, but I was given special orders, not to!"

_Good, so I am alive_. Kite struggled to stand on his own two feet, before Kain layed him back down. "Your wounds hasn't healed yet, so you need to rest some more. Speaking of your wounds, you were very lucky. Nothing important was ruptured and didn't lose all much blood!"

Oh. Blade. Kite immediately knew why he was here, being treated. The picture was quite vivid.

* * *

**Bell Tower 1F**

"Blade?" Kite stood there, worried about the state of his friend. He noticed how nervous Blade was getting underneath the pressure, gripping his blade for dear life. Kite had a vague idea for what was coming next, but he wasn't expecting it.

"Sorry..." Blade turned around and struck.

He soon found his chest, slashed open by the Leaf Blade. The force of the attack, forced Kite back a few feet. _Dammit. That... Hurt. I can't move._ His wings began to die out on him, slowly descending onto Blade's Leaf Blade. Soon thereafter, Kite was standing face-to-face in Blade's oceanic, blue eyes.

His stomach was impaled, but what did it matter, now? The damage was already done. Blade caressed his almost still body and got close to the Dragon's ear, close enough, that only Kite would hear.

"I really am sorry. I have to protect Leaf and I can't do that, dead. Leaf needs someone to guard him. I know... Izol and Sera will probably hate me, for this, but it's the only way, I know. So, you need to be the one to protect those two, at the end of the day. Because... They are your family, just like how Leaf is my brother... _**promise**_?"

At this point, Kite began to cough up blood, he had one faint smile to give, before he passed out, "Dragon's honor..."

"Good. I purposely didn't slice you in anything important. So as long, as you get patched up, you'll be fine. I'll be seeing you again, in the future, my friend..."

And then Kite passed out, being properly laid down by the Servine.

_**His last memory was Izol screaming...**_

* * *

Kite then remembered something. He needed to get up, to do it. But he couldn't do that being bound to this bed until his wounds decided to heal. He had no choice, though.

_Izol needs to know, I'm still alive._

**"AAAAHHHH! AR-CEUS IN HEAVEN, THAT HURT LIKE A BITCH!**" A huge, spire of flame erupted brightly to the adjacent bed of Kite's. When he heard that voice, it only eased the Flygon's pain. _At least Sera's here to keep me company_.

The Quilava slammed down a small needle after yanking it out of his neck. "SAKI! YOU CRAFTY LITTLE PLULSE, I'M GOING TO MUR... der... you? _Where are we?"_

The Audino nurse stared at her confused patient and grinned her pearly, white teeth. _Typical Sera, hotheaded as always. I'm never going to grow over that._

**_"Welcome to the Junkyard_**!"

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**YAH! Sera and Kite is okay, but Izol doesn't know that :O. Speaking of her, looks like she has her hands full with the Warden and surviving the Junkyard, a prison for the absolute worst, there is! I must thank you for reading and such. AND FOR BREAKING 66 REVIEWS AND 900 VIEWS! Extremely humbling, indeed. The OC in this chapter (Boomer) belongs to Cottonmouth25, so make sure to read up on their stories. Oh yeah, this story is my main priority, now ^_^.**

**Beautiful moments, indeed guys :). **

**QOTD: What do you think will happen on The Junkyard, in this three/four part special?**


	9. Chapter 6: The Junkyard (Part 2)

**A/N:** Welcome to broken, yet not-so broken promises. As in, I cut up Part 2 into two separate parts for the received length conserva_tion. Which means this is a five-part special, YEAH! Win-win? I don't know who you are, I am only a bunch words on a screen! That said, two OC's make an appearance. Oh, and most of my avid reviewers received a review from me (length of the review may vary). Except OPFan37 and Cottonmouth25, I hope to get to you guys, soon. With that said... **ENJOY** :) Oh yeah, 6.4k words incoming..._

_Thanks to **Guest, The Gentleman Ghost, We're All Okay, Crazeguy, OPFan37, Ckbrothers (Guest), Cottonmouth25, RisingSerperior, 666funtimes, Error 16, Someone (Guest), **__**xXZyroGaming69Xx, and Lectro Underground**, for their super-duper-cooper reviews!_

* * *

**Some Military Base?**

Elin, Skylar, and Saki were finally making it back to their base of operations. It wasn't anything too fancy- actually, it was kinda run down. They took residence in a large shelter. When you enter the room, the first thing you see is a gigantic staircase, leading up to someone's office. From there, the staircase splits up the home in two ways. On the lower left had three paths that led to the dining hall and kitchen, the bedrooms, and then another corridor that had a staircase leading to the basement, respectively. On the lower right of the staircase had three more paths, that lead to an entertainment room, more bedrooms, and a door which led to the backyard of the home, of course, respectively.

Elin opened the front door for Saki and Skylar, "Ladies, first! Go right ahead!" Saki didn't say anything as she entered the doorway, Skylar stopped before going in and turned to Elin, who was awaiting her to come inside their base.

"Thanks, Elin! That's very sweet of you. Who said chivalry was dead?" Skylar pecked Elin on the cheek, prompting him to blush, a little bit. She then flew inside, leaving Elin to close the door behind him. When the doors shut tightly, firming their locks, Elin took a good look around him.

The whole place was mainly made out of rose and light pink marble, with a touch of earthy tones, such as browns and grays. The staircase, floor, and walls were made up of the same materials. It all blended together wonderfully and harmoniously. Skylar shouted to the heavens, once they stepped on the scene. Just the way it had been, when they left.

**"WE'RE BACK, EVERYONE**!" No one answered Skylar's call by leaving from what they were doing to greet them.

"Hey, Skylar, Elin, and Corporal. Welcome back!" An Infernape walked from the entertainment room to wherever Elin and Skylar were. This Infernape was no different from others of the same species, except his flame, which sat on his head, was a blue azure and the plates on his body were not golden, but instead black. He patted the two Pokémon back.

Oddly enough, Skylar did not go running from this Infernape, at the sight of him.

"Glad to see you back from your mission. How'd it go? Must've been boring being put on patrol duty on the Rainbow Wing..." The Infernape assumed, without any knowledge of what actually went down at Bell Tower.

"Thanks, Corporal Keegan. It was actually more excitable than I would've wanted, but we came out okay!" Skylar answered their commanding officer, cueing him to frown. _Oh... I shouldn't have said anything. He's so protective of us._

Elin started dramatically explaining what happened at Bell Tower with one large breath with no breaks, in between, "So there were these four thieves and they were all like "**WE'RE TOTALLY GONNA GET THE RAINBOW WING!"** and we were all like like "Nuh-uh, you can't have the Rainbow Wing, girlfriend." So Saki's all like, "I'll go to the sixth floor, stay in there until they open the door, then we can ambush them!" Then Skylar and I were all like, "Please, Saki. **WE** know how to get a job done. You haven't got to worry, Corporal!" And then there fighting and some blood, but ultimately Saki went **BEAST** on this poor, little Sneasel, and Quilava. But, then Saki's all like "I change my mind, I'm not going to kill you, I'll just take you to the Junkyard!". **PLOT-TWIST:** Only we knew about it, so the Sneasel was then like, "_Where are we going_?" And then Skylar knocked her out and we took her to the Junkyard and now here we are with..."

Elin took one deep breath before he conjured up a void in the fabric of space, showing off three bags. "**THIS!**", Elin dropped the three satchels on the ground, in front of Corporal Keegan. The satchels rustled with a lot of loose metal.

"Uh... thanks for the insightful information, Elin," The Blue-haired Infernape picked up the bags and started shaking it.

_*Jing. Jing. Jing.*_ He suspiciously stared the Yamask and the Tailow, "Where did you get this?" Saki decided that she would finally speak up on their behalf.

"They mooched it off the thieves we ran into, at the Bell Tower. They had a lot of money on them, too." Corporal frowned, snorting his smoke through his nostrils.

Frustrated, he calmly asked, "How much Coin did you steal from those guys?"

Skylar tucked in her head, to her fur, as she answered Keegan's question, "Eight-thousand... Nine-hundred... And forty-seven Coin..." At that answer, Keegan peered into the Tailow's eye with anger.

"What's our policy about stealing?" Elin backed in front of the scared Skylar to protect her before he began to speak up in an unsettling tone, shaky and scared.

_"D-d-d-don-t s-s-t-e-al at all_?" Elin guessed.

Keegan nodded his head, "Correct. And what you did was childish, selfish, foolish, and **DOWNRIGHT **UNACCEPTAB- Let me borrow five-hundred Coin." Keegan held out his hand, waiting for Skylar to offer some Coin. Elin sighed, laughing on the inside.

"You sure got me, Corporal. Here you go!" Elin happily ran through the satchel, trying to accurately grab a five-hundred Coin before he yanks them out. "Twenty... Sixty... One-hundred... Three-hundred... Three-hundred and Forty... Four-hundred... and... FIVE-HUNDRED! Five-hundred Coin for Mr. Keegan!" Elin, upon counting all of the money correctly, handed the fistful of change to his commanding officer.

Keegan grasped the change with his life, grinning, "YES! Now I have enough to buy Artemis those-" Saki, Skylar and Elin all took a peculiar stare at the Infernape. He realized what he said and tried to change the context behind that meaning, "I can finally help Artemis fund an extra room for our base. You may carry on, now."

Elin and Skylar looked at each other and for a second, there was nothing but a complete silence. Afterwards, there was absolutely nothing but insane laughter between the Ghost and Bird, _"ARE YOU SURRREEE, THAT'S THE ONLY THING YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, SIR?!_" Skylar chortled.

"Maybe he's trying to buy a little something-something from Sergeant, if you know what I mean..." Elin chuckled, nudging Skylar's left wing. Corporal Keegan, blushing underneath his authoritative mask, shouted at Skylar and Elin.

"THAT'S AN ORDER!"

"YES, SIR!" Frightened, both Skylar and Elin both hauled ass to the entertainment room, leaving only the two Corporals to talk with each other. Saki sighed, noticing what Keegan said, as well.

"Still chasing after Artemis, I see," Saki cooed.

"Still a condescending prick, I see," Keegan rebutted.

"Fair enough. But you haven't seen any action for a couple of months and I can see how you have more time for romantic pursuits. I wouldn't blame you for going after her," Saki, with an unchanging monotone, sympathized with her colleague, who simply couldn't tell if that was a compliment or an insult.

"Yeah, I haven't seen any action because I lost my squad a couple months ago. You sure know how to suck the fun from things, don't you?" The Infernape Corporal grumbled. Saki shrugged.

"I had people tell me that, but I wasn't too sure about it. No one has pampered me enough, to make me actually show some form of affection. Maybe you should actually tell Artemis, how you feel," Saki proposed this idea, which seemed completely alien to Keegan. _Since when was actually telling a person, a good idea?_ The blue-haired Infernape crossed his arms around his black body plates.

"'I'll tell her on my own merit. I can't just outright say it. It needs to be at the right moment," Keegan excused his shyness.

"Well, you'll find it interesting to hear that Zendan and Artemis have romantic feelings for each other, but have purposely kept it secret..." The flaming monkey eyes popped open, at the sound of that statement. He started to fidget.

"W-w-WHAT?! That bastard. He knew I LIKED HER. When I get my hands on that Dewott, I swear I'll-" Interrupting mid-sentenced, was the office door, which was stationed on the top of the stairs, opening up, as someone was walking out of it.

The Pokémon walking out of it was a shorter, red, insectoid Pokémon. It's red exterior looked rock-solid and tough to crack. It had two large claws, equally as frightening, instead of having normal hands. Its eyes were yellow and its wings were a metallic gray. It had three thorns sticking out of its head. Around her neck was a black and grey bandana, much similar to Saki's.

She walked down from the steps and saw the two Corporals conversing and greeted them, via a simple but wholehearted nod. Keegan swallowed hard when he saw the Scizor and smiled, "Hello, Sergeant Artemis! How are things?"

Artemis thought about how her day was going before she answered, "They've been going well, thank you for asking, Keegan. Saki, I see that you finally made it back from patrolling the Rainbow Wing."

Saki saw her commanding officer and explained, "The Rainbow Wing nearly fell into someone else's hands. I apologize for my incompetence," It would always surprise Keegan, how respectful and low-tone Saki would get when around her. Artemis didn't mind that much about Saki, having someone willing to follow her was always a plus in her book.

"You don't need to apologize. From what I heard, it's taken care of, correct?" Artemis consoled the Plusle. Saki only felt that it was safe to justify herself, anytime she didn't do a job, perfectly. She took her high command as Corporal, as small as it was compared to a Sergeant, very seriously.

"Correct. I did, but I still have a nagging feeling in the back of my head, if what I did was right. What are you doing, out here?"

"I'm not allowed to check up on my soldiers, every now and then?" Artemis frowned.

Keegan defended Saki, "I don't think she means it, like that. Even I have to admit that you don't get out much. Nothing... bad at all, Serge. Again, I'm sorry."

Artemis tapped the side of her cheek with her claws, sighing with annoyance, "You are right in that regard, but I was recently given a task, to head to The Junkyard for a maintenance check. I came here to see if anyone is interested in joining me."

"What sort of 'maintenance check' are you doing?" Saki interrogated, unsure about the truth in the Sergeant's proclamation. Artemis passed by the Plusle, placing her steel-cold hand of a claw on her shoulders, leaving no emotion on her face, than a neutral one.

"Sorry, exclusive, classified information. I cannot endow the information onto you, Saki. I shouldn't have to tell you. You know this."

"Under who's directive, if I may ask?" The Plusle groaned.

**"The Council**. I don't like your tone of voice, Saki. Remember that I'm _your_ commanding officer and I will be treated as such, understand?" Artemis was immediately offended that one of her Corporals, had the audacity to speak out of line, when unwarranted.

Saki quickly covered her butt, "I'm sorry. But, I hate when The Council sends us these missions, as if we weren't busy, already. You know the old saying, Sergeant Artemis..."

"_The higher you get in rank, the lazier you get_," the short Scizor finished. "A job's a job, though, and I have a priority for our people to maintain. Even... if it means doing the dirty work for the bigwigs."

Keegan jumped in, "If I may add, you are an excellent Sergeant! Congrats on the relationship with Corporal Zendan!" Artemis adjusted the black bandana around her neck, so that it would in a more comfortable spot. She then looked at her monkey underling, and raised an eyebrow.

"You must be mistaken. I do not allow myself to get involved with romantic affairs. They seem like a waste of my time." Keegan looked upon the Scizor with shock, as he realized that was just lied to. His eyes twitched and the change in his hand jiggled, constantly.

"But Saki just told me that-" He stared at the Plusle with blind rage, but Saki found the whole lie, amusing, brimming with deception and a faint, mischievous smile.

Artemis turned to the dining hall and noticed that it was surprisingly empty, her eyesight narrowed. "Where are the others?"

"Entertainment room, of course!" Keegan pointed over to the right side of the base. Artemis's metal exterior bumped against the hard floors, as she made her way to the entertainment room. The closer she got, the more noise she heard. Now she remembered, why she wasn't always coming out of her office, now and then, to check up on her soldiers.

When she peeked around the corner, placing one metallic claw and leg before the rest of her body, Artmeis slumped her hard shoulders. She didn't like what she saw.

There was a mahogany, round table stationed in the center of the room. And around it were chairs of the same material. She didn't remember finding something, like that. The back of the room had a bulky, wide television set that was playing a scratched-up and low-resolution version of a movie, filmed in PokéStar Studious, years back. On the ceiling was... Well, a ceiling fan, that was shaking so viciously, that some would think that it was about to fall off the hinges.

Everything else was pushed aside, much how a living room would push aside their furniture, making more room for cleaning. Art recognized the things that were set aside for this weird table: Two, worn-down, Ping-pong tables, a couple of broken mini-refrigerators, and a couple of dusty couches. The place was stuffed with her soldiers.

But most of them was watching a game unfold on the table. A game quite unfamiliar with the Sergeant. There were five of her underlings sitting in a chair, while one Tailow, _Skylar_, decided against a seat, since she didn't need one.

There was a Dewott, that Artemis knew as _Corporal Zendan._

On the adjacent side of Zendan was a Braxien, that went by the name of _Corporal Myst._

Then opposite of her seated a young Ninjask, who everyone just called _Speedy_, for some reason.

Next to Speedy was the playful and friendly Yamask, that was widely considered to be _Elin_.

Then finally, a spunky and tiny, countryside Nidorina, known as _Quota_.

If they all one thing in common, it would the game they were playing. All six players were all holding small slips of paper, each colored with red or black. They all had some Coin around their station of play, except in the middle, where only a large deck of those same cards lay. Speaking of the center, there were a large amount Coin, sitting there, also.

Artemis had no idea, what they were doing.

But everyone was gazing hard into Zendan's expression, which was minimal and static. Just a straight face, with zero emotion. Skylar squinted, trying to find any traces of giddiness, or annoyance. But it was hard to get anything from the Dewott.

"Ah, I give up. Ain't gettin' a damn read on this guy!" Quota tossed her cards on the table, letting them float to the ground in any position. Her attitude seemed unpleasant.

"Man, I hate when we play with Zendan. He has too good of a face. I'm folding!" Elin was second to throw his cards down, defeated.

"It seems as if the psycho forces of nature, have dealt me the wrong hand. It seems as I must do the "folding", as well," Myst was the third to give up, but she calmly placed her hand on the table, unlike Quota.

Skylar just grunted and slammed her hand on the ground, indicating that she folded as well. "Zendan is such a cheat because he never has emotion. Lucky."

The four players, who had all given up their cards to Zendan's stare, all took one look at the last player, who hasn't lost hope in his five cards, just yet. Speedy was driving one, hard bargain.

"I know my commanding officer, better than anyone! I'm calling your bluff, Corporal! I'm raising you five-hundred!" Speedy used his tiny hands to push over his wager, feeling confident and as proud, as ever. "Beat that!"

Zendan sighed and pushed all of his coins into the pile, in the middle, "_All in._"

Speedy nearly choked at the sight of a thousand Coin being shoved into the pile, like that. The Pokémon around the round table started to freak out, as the Coin stared directly at Speedy's face.

A Nuzleaf got directly into his ear, unnerving Speedy more. "YOU GOT TO GO ALL IN, NOW!"

"I-I-I don't know, Hiyono. Zendan seems pretty confident, to me. Maybe I should back off..." Speedy's voice cracked. He stared down at his cards. He had two pairs. That he knew. But was it worth the risk? The Ninjask's hand fluttered like a butterfly, never keeping calm for one moment.

**"DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT**!" The crowd bantered aloud, leaving Speedy in even more of a dangerous position to fight or flee. The nerves were getting to him.

He couldn't do it.

Speedy, having been defeated, threw down his cards on the table, face up. "I FOLD! I CAN'T DO IT!" After the crowd gave their boos and disapproval, Speedy looked at the Dewott Corporal, who had already shoved the pile of Coin to his side of the round table, "Alright, Zendan. Let's see your hand."

The Corporal placed his hand on the table, face up. Looking upon the Dewott's hand, Speedy was wholeheartedly disappointed in himself. "Jack... Three... Seven... Ace... King... WHAT?! You didn't have ANYTHING!"

"Come on, Speedy. If you weren't a punk and was a real man, you'd've won, all of that Coin," Quota snarkly explained Speedy's decision.

"_UHG! I HAD A FULL HOUSE AND EVERYONE HAD DITTO; THAT MONEY SHOULD BE MINE!"_Skylar shouted to the heavens, saddened from losing her money.

"What are you guys, doing?" Artemis finally exclaimed, after watching the events, unfold. Everyone quickly grew silent and scared, at the sound of her chilly and cold voice. An awkward silence befell the room. Artemis walked inside, resonating her metal clicking through the entertainment room. "I said, what are you doing?"

Reluctantly, everyone in the room, called out in unison, "_Poker_..."

On top of the table at this point, Artemis snagged a Coin and flicked it in Skylar's face, slightly bruising her. "And who taught you, how to play this... Poker?"

Again, everyone spoke out, like a chorus ensemble, "_Henricks_."

"And where is Henricks?"

It was like second nature that Artemis questioned the whereabouts of this "Henricks". They all answered together, once more.

_"Outside with Acran._"

_Of course, Henricks showed them and is outside with Acran_. _Does Myst even watch her three-man squad?_ Artemis relaxed herself and began to speak about her plans. "I was tasked with going to The Junkyard for a maintenance check. I'm taking two volunteers to come with me. Any takers?"

No one jumped out for the cause. However, in the back, a short mermaid and majestic-like Water-element began looking around for anyone who wanted to go. She was a Vaporeon, but on the short-side. This Vaporeon also has a dusting of navy colored freckles across her cheeks and the bridge of her snout, as well as on the flanks of her hips and legs. Her paws are small and dainty with retractable claws and dark blue pads on the bottom of them. Her name was Kaia.

"I'll go! If it puts less of a strain on you guys!" Kaia hopped to the opportunity and was near Artemis's side, in an instant. The silence was still unwelcoming and bitter.

"I'll choose, then." Quota raised her hand, solemnly.

"Yes, Quota?"

The Nidorina giggled, "Elin just said he'd go!"

"Thank you for volunteering, Quota! Let's go!" Angry, the Nidorina walked over to Artemis, on her four legs. With all of the chosen ones decided, Artemis then made a special announcement, staring intently at the rest of the soldiers.

"Rest of you have 'Cleanup Duty'. Get on it, before we're back!" The room bursted into a flurry of anger and rage.

**"AW MAN!"**

**"WE TAKE IT BACK, WE'LL COME!"**

**"WHAT?! CAN I COME, NOW?**!" Skylar begged the Scizor, completely disregarding their game.

"No. We're out of here. Come on, Quota... Kaia."

Kaia and Quota exited the Entertainment Room, ready to head out the front door. Artemis went to the two Corporals, one last time, before they embarked on their way to The Junkyard. Keegan, obviously, was at full attention of the Sergeant's beck-and-call.

"Keegan, I trust that you will make sure this place is clean, by the time, I get back," The Scizor demanded. Keegan was in a prompt salute, before she could notice, giving his all to follow her order.

"Anything for you, Lady Artemis! I will see to it that our guppies wipe down the fish tank, while you're out on your maintenance check of The Junkyard, ma'am!" Artemis patted his black shoulder plate, impressed by his loyalty.

"Glad we're on the same page, Keegan. Saki?" Artemis said.

"Yes?" Saki answered.

"You seem to have been curious, as to why I'm going to The Junkyard. It may take a day and a half worth traveling, but do you wish to come?" Artemis offered. Saki didn't say anything, but she just headed out the front door, silently accepting the offer.

"What are you waiting for, Sergeant?! Saki's going to beat us, there!" Kaia beamed brightly.

* * *

**Main Deck, Junkyard**

**"LOOK ALIVE, JUNKIES!"** The Warden took a large whiff of the salty air and started walking around, followed in pursuit by his two guards, a Rhyperior and a Golem. Everyone stood scared and motionless, as the big bear gnawed on his tiny, green plant. For a place that has no decency- no rules, everyone was focused on him. Stopping whatever they were doing, keeping an eye on him.

Even Boomer halted everything. Izol didn't know the protocol, so she just did what Boomer did. Nothing. Stand perfectly still. Don't move... A single muscle. Don't utter... A single word. These tasks were those that Izol hated, given her personality and her sporadic nature.

The Warden walked sedately to the dead body of the Feraligatr that tried to harass Izol, earlier. He smacked his gums and nodded, disappointed. "Well. Well. Looks like someone went and got cold Phanpy. I don't care for what you be doing, but make sure to clean ya' messes, when you're done wit' em'!" With one snap, the Rhyperior grabbed the dead body and tossed it aside the Main Deck, allowing him to tumble into the sea below, drowning him to very bottom.

He then turned to Izol and smiled. "Look-IE here. Got ourselves, some fresh meat!" He bit down on nothing, aiming his eyes at Izol's before he snickered, "It must be my birthday, already!" The Warden got perilously close to Izol and bent down, taking a fascinating liking to Izol's golden eyes and pink ear. Not like any Sneasel, he's seen before.

He pressed his pink, rough, sandpaper-like tongue against Izol's cheek and slid it upwards. Izol wanted to squirm;_ I want to kill him. I want to kill him. I want to kill him, right here and now, but I shouldn't._ A line of spit was left, when The Warden finished with Izol. He stood back and smacked the taste in his mouth, evaluating it, taste bud by taste bud.

"Hm. You may be as pretty as a doll, little Sneasel, if I can call you that, but you won't last long, here. But Boomer sure knows how to round em' up!" _Looks can be deceiving._ The Warden faced the Clauncher and laughed, maniacally. "How's my favorite inmate, doing?"

Boomer ignored the question and gazed away from him. However, The Warden wasn't taking "No" for an answer. He asked again, but in a slower, more murdeous tone, "I said... How's my favorite inmate, doing?"

"I said, I was doin' fine!" Boomer said harshly back at him.

"You got a disrespectful attitude. But I love a gal wit' some spunk!" The Warden bent down again and grabbed the crustacean's neck and veered Boomer's ear to his lips. "I'll have you one day, but not today. You're getting yours, soon enough!" After whispering in her ear, The Warden shoved the struggling Boomer away from him, leaving her to gasp for more air.

"Hey, **JUNKIES**! Got an announcement to make! I just got word from a friend, that one of the Sergeants from the military, is coming ova' for a surprise, maintenance check! Now you know, I don't like The Council's players, coming in my sandbox and inspecting **MY** toys. **BUT**, you all need to be on your best behavior. Anyone, from now on, who decides to step out of line, will get _The Room_!" The Warden inspected the main deck, everyone who had an idea about The Room was sweating faucets from their skins. The Pangoro loved every second of fear, he was implanting into many of the inmates' hearts.

"Glad we're on the same page. Behave yourself, or you'll be getting a visit from me, each and every day... **BOYS**!" The Warden snapped his fingers and beckoned his assistances to follow him to the door. With each and every step, the three took away from them, the more and more Izol was relieved. By this time, the spit was plopping on the ironclad floors.

Before he disappeared into the doors, he entered out of, The Warden stuck around for one last call. "LUNCH TIME, MAGGOTS!" The doors creaked and slammed shut, leaving the Pokémon in a state of limbo.

Everything was nice and quiet. The gentleness of the seaside, waving back and forth...

_**"YES! LUNCH! OUT MY WAY**_!" But that state was short-lived as a random inmate yelled and started the avalanche of men and women, storming to get some grub. Boomer yanked Izol's hand from the crowd, as she was about to get trampled by hundreds of starving loners. No one had any space, not even Izol and Boomer, whose only saving grace was their hand-holding.

"Thanks... again. People are really clamoring to get something. The food must be really good, then!" Izol deduced.

"Try again. We only eat every two days and even then, food is scarce, disgusting, and easy to miss. And you know what happens when you miss lunch?" Izol's stomach turned, leaving her queasy. The answer made her stomach turn. _You have to wait two more days to get another chance._

"That's horrible! I couldn't imagine eating no food for two days!" Izol worried herself, making her even more hungry than she already was. Boomer led her against the current of the ever-moving crowd of criminals.

"You don't have to worry about it. But these blights, aren't all that smart. I know a shortcut. Follow me," Izol didn't really have a choice, but to follow her.

* * *

**Junkyard Interior 1F**

Leading the way, they found themselves back in the hallway. Same rusted metal. Same jail cells. Same everything.

It's weird that I've only been here for a fifteen minutes and all of this happened. I guess I'm lucky, then. The hallway was surprisingly empty. No bodies, except dead ones, were sheltering this place. They ended up in a cell, that looked exactly, like the others. Boomer cringed the cell door to open, creaking the rusted metal against the other rusted metal, manifesting a "Nail on Chalkboard" sort of sound, that murdered Izol's eardrums.

"Not so loud, please. It really pierces," Izol clogged her ears, to elevate some of the pain, she was feeling on the inside. Boomer finally finished opening the barred door. _Great. Now my left ear is temporarily deaf._

"Sorry about that mate. There's a pothole down here, somewhere. It has a direct link to the mess hall. And if you run fast enough, then we'll make it before anyone!"

Unclogging her left ear, Izol then noticed the foul stench in the air. The aroma was if a Garbodor decided to take both a pee and poop, and smear the remains, on the walls. Smelling it made the Sneasel nearly puke up the little lunch, she actually had. Boomer took note of Izol's face taking a scent of the air, inside the cell.

"Yeah, you smell it, too?" Boomer banged on the rusty-green porthole, leading to whatever knows what._ The shortcut's down, there?! Why does it smell so bad?_ "Yeah... It leads to the sewage system of this boat."

"That's disgusting. Well, what're we waiting for? The longer we're here, the less lunch, we're gonna get!" Izol hurriedly lifted the porthole and saw nothing but an ugly, brown liquid. She took in a deep breathe.

_**Here goes nothing.**_

* * *

**Clinic, Junkyard**

Kite was just relaxing on his mattress, just looking about and talking with his friend, who was also ordered to stay in the clinic, until further notice. Sera, lying on the bed, was checking out the needle, that was originally lodged in his throat.

"What is this thing?" Sera said, as he twirled the needle in a fixated position. "It knocked me out, that's for sure."

Kite tried to add his reasoning to Sera's question, "Maybe it knocked you out because it was jammed in the back of your neck. I don't think you should be too worried about it."

Sera examined the needle more, focusing on the tip of the needle, where a smudge of an odd, blue substance was. "I would say that, if weren't for this goop. It's really bothering me, since it did the job, so easily! I'm going to find out what this is."

_Sure, you will Sera_. Kite stared at his cozy light, dangling above his head. _But how did I live?_ The memory of him being sliced across the chest kept replaying in his head, like a radio station. _One slice. Right? Blade said that he didn't slice me in anything important._ He stared down at his bandages, again. Nothing about them being white has changed. Nurse Kain trod up to the Flygon and stared down, smiling.

"How's the chest feeling?" Kain grabbed Kite's binds and began to loosen them. "Sorry, but I need to put on a new set of bandages, for safety purposes. Prevents infection, you know?" _Maybe I should ask her_. As the Audino prepared to replace his bandages, Kite brought himself to ask.

"Hey, Nurse... I have a question," Kite hooked the attention of his nurse, who seemed very concerned, before he began. "The guy... who did this to me... said I'd live when he sliced into me. How did I live, through that?" It was as Kain was waiting for him to ask that. She sat down on Kite's bed.

"Room, for one more?" Kite didn't object to it. Nurse Kain leaned in closer to the Flygon's eyes, beaming her brilliant pink head. Kite started to blush._ W-what is she about to do?_ Kain then presented her finger and poked softly on the soft skin of Flygon's chest.

"Does that hurt?" the Audino asked. He thought about it for a second. He couldn't feel any sort of pain. Is _it a sign that I'm healing?_ Kite almost smiled at the thought of being able to fly, again. He nodded his head to confirm that he didn't feel any pain.

Kain soothed her hand further down his body, making him feel even more uneased and nervous. Her finger was positioned over the midsection of the Dragon's abdomen. She poked again, only this time, Kite actually felt a small surge of bother, run up his spine. _Yep, definitely felt something that time._

"It hurts, a little more. But I can get by it, fine." Kite said. Now Kain was pointing at his stomach and without any hesitation to check on the Flygon, she immediately pressed down. This time, _he felt it._ Like having your hand placed on a burning stove eye, the experience was burning through his flesh and everything started to hurt again...

_Just as they did inside Bell Tower_.

"AUUUHHHHHHGGGG! THAT HURTS! THAT HURTS! OUCH!" Kite was sorting through his teeth, trying to hold back the stinging sensation. His stomach wasn't being ripped apart, but it sure as hell, felt like it. With haste, Nurse Kain floated her hands over the Flygon's aching body. Concentrating, her hands radiated and flickered, becoming a hot-pink. Once transformed, Kain's hands were placed softly on his stomach.

The pain eased.

His head cooled.

Just like that, it stopped. He didn't feel the excruciating pain, anymore. Kain took a breather to let the Flygon lay in rest for a few more seconds.

"Kite, did you die?!" Sera said, not giving any of his attention to his friend, who could've been dying. After hearing nothing for a brief moment, he just stared back at the needle, "Nurse Kain, what's this blue stuff, that knocked me out?"

Nurse Kain gave Kite enough time to calm him down, acknowledging Sera's snoddy comments. She pointed her index finger up, "In a minute, Sera; I'm dealing with Kite, at the moment. Don't think I forgot about your bath, now!"

Sera immediately started to quiver, "B-b-bath? That one, that has... water?" His eyelids began to twitch and his flames erupted and was put out, like a broken lighter. "I'm a Fire-element. W-won't I... uuh... die?"

"Not if it's a little dip in and a quick pull out!" Sera swallowed a large shoot of saliva. Kain turned back to her patient to answer his question, "Okay, Kite. How'd that feel, that time?"

**"**_Like hell!_**"** Kite said and laughed, snorting. "What does that mean for me, though?"

Nurse Kain then stood back up from the mattress and stretched her arms, "Did you notice a trend?"

_What trend? My injuries?_ Kite stared directly at the newly, wrapped bandages across his chest. "No, I can't say that I had noticed one. Can you tell me?"

"The further to your stomach I poked, the less painful it was. You see..." Nurse Kain bent down and patted Kite's rib cage and again, he didn't feel any unwelcome tingling. "This is where all of a Flygon's important stuff goes. Heart. Lungs. Ribs. And all of that good stuff. Now, what if I told you that one cut, when in regards to where your heart and stuff is, was only a skin deep wound?"

Kite pressed against his heart, "Skin-deep?"

"Yep! No matter what you get cut with, if the cut itself is only as shallow as your skin, then theoretically, nothing major is damaged. For instance-" Taking hold of a scalpel, she slowly cut a small portion of her arm, showing Kite as the blood streamed down. Kain didn't freak out, she was simply setting an example, even to the point of twinkling that smile, that put the Flygon at ease. "See? It may be a big cut, but I only struck the skin, so it won't kill-"

_*Drop*._ A tiny speck of blood fell on the Flygon's leg. Sera witnessed and was grossed out, to say the least, "Ew, that's gross. Now you two are forever bonded, till the end of time!"

"I should get a napkin and clean that up. Yeah, a napkin. This is really awkward, I have never done this with any of my patients," she quickly snabbed a white bandage and wrapped around her arm, then used her napkin to wipe up the blood from Kite's leg.

"It's fine. Can you continue, please?"

"Wow, Kite. You want her to drop more blood on you?!" Although he couldn't, Kite would've punched the Quilava, in the back of the head, at this point.

"No, Sera. I meant if she could continue her explanation. What are you thinking about?" Kite said, angered.

"How this little needle managed to knock me out," the Quilava responded.

"Sorry. Like I was saying, the wounds on your chest was only skin-deep and was an easy fix. However, the areas around your stomach was a completely different problem. From the looks of things, you were impaled. And therefore, I had to use a conjunction of Heal Pulse and my Healer factor, to essentially remove infectious wounds and reattach it...

Let's just say, it wasn't a pretty sight."

When he thought about it, it wasn't the initial slash that crippled him. It was being impaled in the stomach. At that moment in time, that is when he coughed up and lost too much blood. At that moment in time, he passed out. And at that moment in time...

_He made a promise_. A promise to protect his closest friends.

"Whoever did this to you is very skilled at what he does," the Audino said, putting away the scalpel back on a metal tray, positioned near Kite's bed.

"Yeah... I shouldn't have expected no less from Blade out of everyone." Sera seemed awfully confused at that statement, gazing into the Flygon's wounds and back at Kite's light-brown face. This was a continuous process for Sera, repeating over and over, again.

"Hey Nurse, where are you going?" Kite queried, as Kain began to walk out the door.

The Audino giggled before leaving, "Duty calls. I'll be back to check on you and clean Sera. And you don't call me by Nurse, you can just call me Kain!" Nurse Kain disappeared into the bleak hallway of the prison, deserting the Flygon and Quilava, for the short while. _If I'm being taken care of by someone like that, I'll be out of here, in no time!_

As soon as she left, Sera yelled, deducing what happened while he was passed out.

_**"BLADE DID THIS TO YOU?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOONER**_?!"

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**DUN. DUN. DUN. I hope you weren't expecting a jammed-packed chapter, but either way, I hope you still enjoyed it. More character development, YEAH! I honestly have nothing to say. Maybe I should think, some more. Oh yeah, if you skipped the A/N for some reason, then this is now a five-parter. I should stop making promises. The OC's that appears belong to Breaking The Remix (Kaia) and 666funtimes (Artemis). With that said, see you next part. I'm out!**

**You guys all had relatively the same ideas. Not that it's a bad thing.**

**QOTD: Don't have one. Too lazy to think of something creative. I still love you all, though.**


	10. Chapter 6: The Junkyard (Part 3)

**A/N: **_Part 3! Welcome back, I missed you. Sort of. Maybe... Not really... Just kidding, I love all of you. Six days for a shorter chapter. Way to go, DJTiki, you surely know how to please your fanbase and readers. Do not fret! Next part will be longer. 6k words, hopefully. What have I've been up to, these past days? Stuff. Stuff that will be explained in the footnote.** MEANING YOU MUST READ IT!** Because it's very important stuff that is very important. With that said, here's another small OC skit that I just made because I feel bad for taking so long:_

**Quota: About dern-time we get the spotlight, again.**

**Keegan: Last time I checked, we aren't in this chapter.**

**Quota: What a rip! How come?!**

**Skylar: Budget issues, again? ****Maybe we can ask Zendan to give us our Coin-**

**Zendan: No.**

_**ENJOY :)**_

Thanks to: _**666funtimes, We're All Okay, Lectro Underground, RisingSerperior, Crazeguy, Ckbrothers, Error 16, Cottonmouth25, OPFan37, Guest, The Gentleman Ghost, Antex- The Legendary Zoroark, and The Misfit Shipper**_ _for their supportive reviews! **104 REVIEWS AND COUNTING, THANK YOU FOR NOTICING ME- FANFIC SENPAI(S).**_

* * *

**Sewage Tunnel**

The tunnel wasn't overly long. It was two slabs of a long concrete barricading a long stream in the center. The stream was very disgusting. It was filled with a slimy and gooey-green mixed with hints of light brown. You could feel the pulsating streams gurgle like spit and pulsate like a regurgitating pig. The air felt dim and wet. It didn't help that the concrete walls had been sweating this icky substance from the cracks of the wall, like sap to an oak tree. The filthy odor clogged Izol's nose as she walked down this hallway with the crustacean, she referred to as Boomer. The Clauncher was leading the way with the Sneasel trailing behind, covering her mucus glands of her mouth and nostrils, to prevent an involuntary gag reflex. Looking ahead towards their destination, Boomer began to talk, once more.

"Try not to lose ya' lunch ova' there!" Boomer said before laughing. Izol was beginning to grow dizzy from the toxic fumes, but she wasn't even poisoned. "Don't worry-" Boomer paused for a second and thought to herself. _What's she thinking?_ Patting the top of her head with her claw, Boomer realized something. "Uh... err... I don't remember, catchin' ya' name."

Izol was somewhat surprised, too._ I forgot to introduce myself_. With her hand still shielding her mouth, Izol barely spoke up her name, using a soft-tone rather than her loud-mouthed self. Boomer poked put her left ear and told the Sneasel to speak up, again. _My name isn't that complicated!_ Izol uttered her name, once more, hoping to drill it through her skull.

"Eye-sol?" Boomer annunciated.

Izol, annoyed, just uncovered her lips and said the correct pronunciation of her name, "No. Izol. As in... "EH-SOL". Not "Eye-Sol"... "Eh-Sol". It's not that hard, you know?" The Sneasel's overall sass prompted Boomer to frown.

"Okay, **IZOL**. Like I was saying, before you gave me ya' sass; Don't worry about this tunnel, it's pretty short," Boomer tried to remedy the disgusting nature of this place. It wasn't working with Izol, she was still very much ready to throw up. The only thing keeping her from doing that was the hand over her mouth. She looked about the tunnel, once more.

Green-brown water and questionable substances floating about. Izol felt something slide up from her stomach to her neck, nearly choking her. The Sneasel swallowed it down and caught a large breath._ This place better be short, or I'm breakin' heads_. Boomer talked loudly, above Izol's hearing, attempting to get her attention.

"Izol! Are you paying attention?" Boomer clamped her overly-sized launcher. Shaking her head, Izol snapped back into play, fully listening on to what Boomer needed to tell her. It was obvious that Izol zoned out, so the Clauncher filled her in on her question, again. "If ya' were listenin' to a word I said, I asked 'How'd you get in, here?'. You don't seem like a hard-down criminal with any experience in a prison."

She tried to remember how'd she got slammed in this hell-hole, passionately called The Junkyard. But it wasn't too hard and she quickly answered Boomer, in the vaguest way, she could. Izol uncovered her lips for a small moment to explain, "Let's just say that I got to close to something, I couldn't have. Got my ass handed to me... and now,_ I'm here_."

Continuing down the tunnel, passing by blobs and seeping sewage-like oil as it crawled down the metal tops, Izol said the obvious question, anyone would ask any prisoner at this point in a similar conversation, "You?"

Boomer did the same as Izol: Think over her situation, then answer in a vague way, to prevent giving an acquaintance too much knowledge of her past. "Let's just say that I stole from some bad people. Bad people didn't like that. Bad people payed an extortionate amount of money to land me here." Boomer knew the game Izol was playing and decided to capitalize on it. "So while we're down here, why don't ya' stop being so vague and tell me the juicy deeds, Izol!"

What a nosy little Water-element, she is. "Why should I tell you?" Izol questioned.

Boomer snickered, "Because I saved your life...twice."

The Sneasel sighed, slouched her shoulders, tilted her head down, and gave in to her question, knowing full-well, she couldn't object to both claims. "Fine. Fine. I'll tell you. But keep an open-mind, okay? Promise not to laugh at my stupidity."

"I'm all ears, mate. Go ahead. I ain't judgin'."

_Hopefully, she doesn't_. Izol started to explain, "I went after an item called the Rainbow Wing. Apparently, it was worth a lot of money and people wanted it. So I went to the Bell Tower and nearly got it... until two things happened. Problem A: I got beaten down by a military brat. Problem B: A tag-along stabbed me in the back and left us to die."

Boomer examined her problem and found a discrepancy, a flawed part of her statement. "The Rainbow Wing?! You don't seem like the type of gal' to-" She stopped herself and thought it over again, taking a look at Izol's pink and black skin and her golden eyes. "You said '_us_'. And after the stuff I was stealin', I know you don't go after a big job, without any help. So who'd you go with?"

_That's what I was afraid she'd ask_. Izol stayed silent, closing her eyes and tightening the grasp of her fists. Boomer gazed upon Izol with sheer confusion, before she spoke up, again. "Who'd you-" The Clauncher pieced together the information, as a small tear dropped from Izol's left eye, twinkling, then splashing, onto the concrete slab she was standing on.

"Oh... I see. You're the only one left, huh?" Boomer took a halt to pat Izol on her back, comforting her grave loss of her two dearest friends. Izol tried not to cry, as it would only show her weakness, but every time she thought of it, it made it progressively tougher and harder. "Ey' I know what it's like to lose a few mates. You just need to know to move on."

Izol sniffled and yelped, "I know. But it's my fault for trusting anyone. Now they're dead because of how stupid, I was. They never see it, but they meant a lot to me. Just-just-just..." Izol couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence. Instead, she lunged her fist into the concrete wall, creating a small quake and a not-so small dent, knowing well that any of the trash and sewage was dripping on her bare hands.

"It's okay, Izol. It may seem hard now, but one of these days..." Izol stopped her, right there.

"What?! They're just gonna pop out the ground?! Come back to life?! I should've trusted my instinct- I should've been more attentive to Sera and I shouldn't have trusted that stupid ass Servine with Kite!" The Sneasel took a few deep breaths to collect her thoughts. Great, now I've practically told her everything. "NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I TRY FORGET, IT KEEPS COMING BACK TO ME LIKE A PUNCH IN THE FACE! BUT WHY SHOULD I TALK ABOUT REVENGE AGAINST HIM?! I'M STUCK HERE FOR THE REST OF MY GODDAMN LIFE!"

Boomer was concerned for her tag-along. She spoke up softly, "Izol..."

"WHAT?!" Teeth gritting with anger, Izol turned her head, hyperventilating and yelling. Boomer pointed her up and made it known that their walk was over. Right above their heads was another porthole that led to another part of the Junkyard's interior.

_**"We're here**_."

* * *

**Clinic, Junkyard**

**"I AM NOT GOING IN THERE**! Nuh-uh. Nada. Zip. Zero chance." Sera was backed away to a wall, gazing frightened at a small, wooden bucket. Kain was eagerly trying to throw the Quilava in the bucket of water. Sera wasn't talking "Yes" for a possibility. Crouching down, Sera was hiding from anything, especially the small body of water. He was quaking in his own body, in total fear.

"Come on, Sera. The faster, it's over with, the faster you won't have to see it, again!" Kain turned her head to the bed and found Kite, still focusing on a slip of paper, the Audino had given him to examine over. The injured Flygon was slowly recovering. He could finally sit up without any fear of tearing through his previously, impaled stomach. Kite's talons and arms were fully functional and his response-time was coming back to him.

Kain decided to check on him, "How's that reading, going along?" The piece of paper, he was given had one sentence on it. It was written in human language. Kite was grateful and tried his best to understand it, as he always wanted to.

Kite glowered, scrunching his face, tilting his eyebrows downward and wrinkling his facial features. He faced the writing of the ticket to his nurse and singled out one letter. "What does this letter sound like, again?"

Kain squinted at the pointed letter. It was a "T". She smiled and said, "It's pronounced "Ta". "TA" as in "Take". Do you get it?" Kite began chanting the sound, getting more accustomed to it.

**"OKAY!** So, "Ta... hee"-" Kite lit up, as he got the word down. "TAHEE! That's the word, right?!" Kain saw the word, he was referring to and sighed.

"It's "The", not at all "Tahee"," Kain corrected. "When you have the letters "T" and "H" together, then it creates that small, hissing sound, I was talking about earlier. Do you get it?" Kite blandly stared at his paper and tried again.

"T...t...the... THE! I got it! So you just combine multiple letters to create the correct sound of the word?" The Flygon's eyes were beaming brilliantly, finally getting a hang of this "reading" thing. I'm able to make out small words, now! Professor Fickle's got a surprise for him, when I get back. Sera, fidgeting, was hoping and praying that Kain had seamlessly forgotten about his bath.

"Okay, Sera! Let's just dip you in and pull you out!" Kain walked up to the Quilava, each step sending chills down his back. The Audino wrapped her arms around him and yanked him from his hiding place, underneath his bed. Soon thereafter, Sera found himself dangling over a bucket of clear fluids. Tucking his neck back, Sera called for help.

"**KITE**! What are you, doing? This psychopath is trying to kill me! Hurry up and help me..." Sera's voice grew more somber and sadder this time, as his ruder approach didn't help. "... _Please_?"

Kite turned his head to his friend, "Sorry. I can't move over to help, even if I wanted to."

Kain then followed up with a disturbing frown, "And I'm not a psycho, you little rat!" Sera's flames began to flare and burn, as the heat started to sear away at Audino's flesh.

"I'M NOT A RAT, YOU LITTLE-" Before he had the chance to finish, Kain had already dunked the poor guy into the bucket. Although, she promised before, that it would only be a small dip, Kain just let the Quilava gurgle up the bath water for about ten seconds.

Nonchalantly watching upon the drowning Sera, Kite stopped looking at his paper and geared his focus at Kain, "Don't you think, it'll kill him?"

Before pulling him back up, Kain nodded before answering. "It won't. Fire-elements over-exaggerate everything that has to do with stupid water. Of course, if I left em' in there for a few minutes, Sera would be dead."

A splash water came up, as Sera was pulled out by his Audino nurse. His flames were flickering and his body was cold and shivering. The entirety of his body was soaked with droplets upon droplets in pristine cleaning water. His arms were crossed and his eyes were drowned in shock. But he was breathing._ At least he's still alive. Just shaken up, that's all._

"_Y-y-y-y-y-y-y... yo-o-o... you suck. T-t-t-t-t-t that was unca-a-a-a-alled f-f-f-for.._." Sera quivered his lips. Kain couldn't tell if he was shivering from the cold of the water, or shivering because he was a fire-element dumped into a large bucket of water. That thought didn't stay for long.

"Don't be dumb! I wasn't going to murder my patiences. You'll be fine. Just air dry," Kain responded, picking up the smaller bucket. "Now, I'll need to dispose of this. And you never have to see it, again!" Sera just agreeable nodded, his eyes still looking that of a lost puppy. He never-ever-EVER wanted to feel that experience, ever again.

Kite had a tiny smile, smeared behind his fake concentration over his assignment of literature and human conventions. After all, it was his first time, he saw Quilava forcibly dunked into the water for more than a few milliseconds, which was nothing more than dips. Moments like these really showed Kite's twisted side. Nonetheless, he checked on his friend, as Kain staggered to the nearest porthole, that was a window.

Heaving the bucket overhead, Kain tossed aside a large quantity of water out into where it belonged. She dusted off her hands and took a full body turn, facing her two subjects.

Sera was still shivering and shaking off all water from his body, attempting to light his flames... although to no avail. This was the exact reason, he hated water.

Kite was still trying to pronounce the sentence, he was given on the slip of paper. Murmuring under his breath, he said "The. _Que-ick_... so that's quick. The quick-" Kite stumbled on yet, another word. Great, not again with this crap. Like a student, in his classroom, the Flygon raised his talons.

"Kain, you think you can come help me out, again?!" Kite asked.

Kain slapped together her hands, "Yep! What's the problem this time?"

_*SLAM*_ The Clinic entrance burst open, as a large ominous figure stepped into the room, like darkness taking over the light, during each and every night. He had a green leaf in his mouth and had a large physique. It appeared to be an evil-looking panda bear, with a mire murdeous intent. The Warden was alone, but he still had a wide, cocky grin. At least, that was the first thing Kite noticed.

Looking over to Kain, the Audino's happiness and giddy nature instantly turned into worry and regret. That was the second and mist important thing, Kite had been noticing. _That's peculiar. Is she scared of him, or something._ Something about this guy's presence was so... How would he put it?

_Off-putting_.

He couldn't aid Kain, by being her protection. Kite was in zero position to do so. Now, he's forced to watch the events, unfold before him. Act like you're hurt, Kite. Don't do anything you'll regret. Sera didn't follow Kite's mentality, instead he had high hostility towards him. The Warden stared at the two, injured Pokémon and snickered to himself.

"Howdy! It looks like Kain's been taking good care of you guys!" The Warden greeted, poking his green shoot at them.

"Hello. How are you?" Kain's voice shook and dropped. It was odd seeing this Audino in a state of discomfort, but the Pangoro seemed to be acting very differently.

The creepy Pangoro smiled, "I'm doing great! Thanks for asking! But, I'm more interested in the two, little lads you got here!" The Warden pressed forward to Kite's bed and he examined him. First, he poked around at his bandages and then checked out his scars. _What's with this guy?! He's such a creep.._

"Hmph. Looks like you'd on lucked out, didn't you, Mr. Kite?" There were always lines that people didn't "cross". Kite has been usually respective and open-minded to new people and things. But it never excused the fact, that he hated any sort of stalker. It was highly unlike anyone to "cross" their self-imposed boundaries.

But Kite did just that, when The Warden addressed him by his actual name, without Kite possessing any sort of knowledge of him. Disgusted, Kite frowned. "How the hell do you know my name?! What's with you?!"

The Warden laughed before he turned to Kite's direction, "Woopsy me, I forgot about my manners. Mind my rudeness. I'm The Warden. But you can just call me, Warden!"

"Warden?" Kite thought over.

Sera was thinking the same as Kite and he finished his thought for him, "Like a prison-type of Warden?"

The Warden's laughed. "So you telling me, you don't know where you are?" This is the Junkyard, right? Both Pokémon nodded their heads, affirming their suspicion and ignorance. The Warden just disappointedly smacked his lips, chewing on that plant, he held so dearly. "Kain. Kain. Kain. Shame on you... didn't tell these poor lads, where they are."

"What should it matter? As soon as Kite gets better, we're outta here to find a friend of ours!" Sera announced. Kite is constantly reminded that this was one of those rare occasions, where they were without Izol. Now, it just felt weird to not have her bantering and joking nature. Kite tried to move his wings, to back up Sera's broad statement.

Nothing again. _Great, still can't fly._

"Is that so, Sera?" The Warden challenged, smiling. "You're in The Junkyard, the 'happiest' place, this side of the Hoenn sector. You sure y'all want to leave us? We promise to take good care of you."

Kite then glared. He knew he was lying. "_Bullshit_. Kain said that standard protocol was to kill any Pokémon capable of flying. So why don't you cut the crap and tell us, what's really going on?"

The Warden's friendly smile quickly shifted into the exact opposite. "You Flygon species are smarter than you look. Okay, then, I'll explain. You're in jail. Prison. But this isn't some ordinary prison. No. No. No. You landed in The Junkyard, where all rules are off for criminals, as long as they don't try and escape. And I can do without that tone, boy. I have the ability to rip you to shreds. **DON'T GET ON MY BAD SIDE**."

"Oh, I thought I was staring right at your bad side. WOOPS, I was looking at your face. Silly me!" Sera insulted, prompting him to restrain himself from the Quilava.

"Kite, betta' tell your little friend to shut the hell up!" The Warden cracked his knuckles, shutting up Sera without any implication from Kite to do so. "Hmph. You ain't special, either. Tank told me all about you guys and how you quickly dispatched two of his men. I'm not impressed. Oh, and about your little friend..."

Kite and Sera's attention sharpened. Their hearts were beating rapidly as one. Any news regarding Izol was a big one. Was she dead? How was she doing? "I saw her. She wasn't anything great, either. You three all smell the same...

**_Dirty..._**

**_Uncivilized..._**

**_Uncultured..._**

**_Defeated..._**

And BOY- OH BOY**,** was that disgusting, little freak defeated. I never saw a Sneasel like that, before. You could just... taste her tears." The Warden got riled up and sniggered, recalling what he did, when he first saw Izol._ That smug bastard. If he did anything to hurt her..._

"... Or the tears she tried to hold back. Apparently, she thinks you two are dead and I betcha she isn't taking that well. Probably killed herself!" Balling his fists at that comment, Sera screamed.

**"THEN WHY DON'T YOU TELL HER THAT WE'RE ALIVE, YOU ASSHOLE**?!"

The Warden, without any sort of notice, rushed over to Sera, bunting him across the Clinic, who crashed into the many supplies that Kain had on deck. Speaking of which, Kain, shocked, cried out to her patient. "Sera! Are you okay?" The rodent responded with a series of groans, prompting that he was still awake.

"Oh, Kain. Glad to see you talking, again. That little Quilava needs to know some damn respect, when in the face of authority. Well, I'm done here. Kain, can you come put the room for a sec? We need to speak." Warden left the room door with Kain, leaving an angry Kite and a disgruntled Sera to think over, this place.

The dragon sat up and stared ahead. "If only I knew what they were saying. Kain is too nice to be the whipping boy for that douche."

"Kite... I got this. Just hang tight, okay?" Sera crawled out of the metal tray and many clinical tools, agonizing, and dragged over to the Clinic's entrance, to hear their conversation.

Sera closed his eyes, let the wounds heal and listened.

* * *

_"Kain, how's the healing for Kite and Sera, going?"_

_"Well, Kite should be able to fly again in-"_ There was a long pause, as it seemed Kain caught herself, mid-sentenced.

"_What did I tell you to do?"_

_"Heal them. That was the order given to me, not by you, but by Corporal Saki."_ Sera's eyes widened at the thought. The same Pokémon... The same one who had defeated them... Was intentionally helping them?

_"And I say keep them here. You worked for me, the longest. Not for some military brat_!" Kain's voice started to grow hostile, which was surprising, even for Sera.

_"What do you honestly expect me to do, when Kite figures out that his wings are perfectly functional?"_

_"You know why, Nurse. And I don't appreciate your tone."_

_"Don't call me Nurse! I'm trained in this profession; I'm a Doctor. I want to heal my patients. Newsflash, Kite can fly**,** if he did so carefully. But you insist, that I administer drugs that gives him some-"_ Kain started to choke.

_"Shut up. Lash out like that, again and I'll kill you, the exact same way, I did your sister. Understand?_" One awkward pause later and Sera heard heavy breathing from Kain's side.

"_Fine. How do you want me to lie to him, this time? I'm sick of doing this to my patients."_

_"Make somethin' up, Kain. I don't know. It's only until Sergeant Artemis leaves. Then, I'll take those two off your hands."_

_"For what_?" The Warden didn't answer her question, so she just assumed the worst, whatever that was. Sera had no idea.

_"Oh... so you're taking them there."_

_"What did I tell you about getting attached to your patients?"_

_"I'm going to tend to Sera's wounds, now."_

* * *

At that sound, Sera barely ran back into position, from being knocked around like some rag doll. Kain opened the door. Kite was still on the bed, deciphering the sentence of human language. Sera had been crushed over by the clinical tools, the same ones that Kain had been using on both of them. Remembering the conversation, she had recently, Kain sighed.

"Are you okay, Kain? You seem to be rubbing your neck a lot." Kite worried himself.

Kain rubbed around her shoulders, soothing her neck. She tried to smile again, to assure that everything was fine. Although Kite bought it, Sera knew it was fake.

_**"It's nothing, really. Let me just get to Sera, and we can go from there, 'k?**_"

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**The Warden is abusive. OH NO. What will happen, next? Okay, I should cut to the chase. What is this stuff, I was talking about? Well... a few writers are collaborating in this project, directed by the fantastic Legacy918. These writers include Legacy918(Creator of Pokemon Academy: A New Dawn, Pokemon Academy: Power of Chaos, and ELPTA's future beta-reader), myself (DJTiki), PokeThatPokemon (creator of Legend of Whisperers, PMD: Land of the Forgotten Souls, and Kite's OC), MikeV1(Creator of The Champion Circuit), and Heart of the Anime (Creator of Pokemon: Kingdom Wars: The Golden Queen).**

**This project is temporarily called "League of Heroes", where the main protagonists(specifically OC's) of various Pokemon stories come in to battle a new threat. Like the Pokemon OC Fandom version of The Avengers or The Justice League! Legacy918 (along with us) is currently planning this story. So if you feel that there's an OC, of an already established story, that can fit within this story, go to Legacy's stories, leave a review and suggest main characters that can help this story out. IT IS HAPPENING! But, Legacy is still open for suggestions and feedback. Why do I support this? Just the fact that this concept is awesome (and that the main character of ELPTA will be in this story. Hint. Hint)**

**So give Legacy918 your support. He really deserve it! Oh and also the other authors as well, they need the spreaded love! This is a large scale thing and I would appericate it, if you did this for Legacy. **

**I have another thing planned, but save that announcement for later :3. With that said, I hope to see you in the future. I'm out!**

**QOTD: Chapter lengths? Shorter, longer, or content, overall? Should it get higher or lower? Stay the same? IDK. :)**


	11. Chapter 6: The Junkyard (Finale)

_**A/N: **Ello! Welcome to the fourth part! How have you been, lately. This chapter is 5.5k soo... 500 words off the target amount, but I personally enjoy this chapter. Just expect nothing but Izol, in here. Don't worry, it's for the better. So with all that said, **ENJOY :)**_

_Thanks to: **Error 16, Antex- The Legendary Zoroark, We're All Okay, Ckbrothers (Guest), reven228, Someone (Guest), Crazeguy, RisingSerperior, and The Misfit Shipper** for all of their fantasticallistic reviews of reviews!_

* * *

**Mess Hall**

Sewage-colored messy meat, which could be mistaken for Pokémon flesh and bone; Squashed-up berries, mixed together like mashed potatoes; Some water that honestly looked like they nabbed it from the Sewage Tunnel. All sat on a rusted, metal tray. It all puffed up in an odd, putrid aroma of green. This is what Izol had to eat.

She wasn't so sure if where she was sitting was worse, or if eating anything would kill her. The place was surprisingly light for The Junkyard. There were circular windows, plastered on the west side of the Mess Hall, that allowed the warm, orange rays into the room. Only a few cafeteria-like long tables, but Izol wouldn't have been bothered by it. She was eating her meal on the floor, against a cozy little corner, that boasted the best shade in the Mess Hall. It was the tired-out, cold, steel, and copper-smudged floors, much like a penny that losing its shine after being exposed to too much oxygen.

Izol stared solemnly at the tray before her. The Sneasel's stomach turned in undesirable ways, just by taking one big whiff.

The food was playing with her emotions, as Izol knew that this- this of all things, would be her meal until two days pass by and she can hope for another chance. Izol could either sulk and complain, but stay hungry, or sulk and complain, then possibly die. The Mess Hall itself, was not full with Pokémon. Whenever she thought about it, Izol would like to think to herself that it's a bloodbath out there.

Boomer already downed her lunch. And she didn't have any plans on staying in the Mess Hall, either. Resting within her corner on the floor, Izol watched on as Boomer headed to the porthole, they just came out of. The Clauncher called out to the lonely Izol, looking as depressed, as ever.

"Hey, Izol. You sure you want to stay here? Ya' always welcomed in my cell, if ya' need the company," Boomer offered, lifting the brown porthole. Izol didn't really want to hear it, nor did she actually want to make the effort to stand. Deep down in her gut, she knew that she needed to be alone. She wanted to be left alone- just enough to recollect her thoughts.

"I-I'm fine. I'll meet you down there, once I'm done here," Izol sighed to herself. Boomer could tell that Izol was in dire pain. She held her head downwards and had been contemplating, if she would eat or not. But then Izol spoke up, "Boomer?"

"Yeah?"

Izol began to stagger a bit, in her speech, "S-s-sorry that I lashed out at you. It isn't like me, at all."

Boomer smiled, attempting to comfort her. "It's fine, laddie! I'd be the same way, if I was in your position. No hard feelin's! Just be careful..." With all of that said and done, Boomer disappeared into the Sewage Tunnel. Izol sat there, left to think about what she could've done to alleviate the situation.

She stared down at her plate of food. More particularly, at the slab of flesh. Hesitantly, Izol grabbed it and began to dangle it over her plate. The slab of meat, in question, resembles that of a T-bone. It had been browned and charred, giving it those black skid marks. Izol examined it and shook the meat, then it wiggled like a booger, in return.

Izol shrugged her shoulders. _What can be so bad about this?_

The Sharp Claw Pokémon swung the ill-prepared steak around like a rag-doll with her pink paws. Then she bit down on it...

Like biting on a plush toy, Izol was not getting any fulfillment from chewing it. She ravaged the meat around like a psychopath, vigorously waggling her head. The Sneasel took a breather, surprised that her tempered fangs didn't break a sweat to the meat.

This is some tough meat, Izol thought to herself. She dangled the meat above her head.

_No..._

Izol probed the bite marks, she created, on the fleshy slab of charred steak. That's when she saw it- red blood and a gamey material. It was raw._ Did they even bother to cook this?_ Disappointed and livid, Izol threw down her flesh back on the metal tray, slapping up a goo of her own spit, right back at her.

"I'll get back to you later, Mr. Whatever type of meat, you are..." Izol mumbled, staring into the steak. The flesh huffed up some air, formulating tiny, air pockets. She poked it again with one claw.

_Is this thing, alive? That's gross_.

Izol sighed, "Great. I'm talking to myself, again."

Next up was the berries. Or she thought they were. There was no, clear-cut way of telling the difference. Although, she didn't want to, Izol scooped up a bit of the "berries" and looked at it. The food was discolored. Any color it had, possessed a lighter hue than any other berries, she's seen.

It all meshed into this ugly flurry of colors. Izol couldn't tell if she was getting the best of the berries, or the absolute worst. Overthinking the berries, Izol snickered, letting no one else hear her. _Heh, that sort of reminds me of myself_.

But she needed to eat something. It wasn't every day, you get lunchtime- let alone, actually nabbing some food for yourself. However, Izol couldn't shake the feeling that these berries were chewed up, then spat on the tray. The uncertainty made the little Izol squirm in her spine.

She pressed the berries closer to her mouth, "Well... here goes nothing."

Izol couldn't stand looking at them, so she shut her eyes closed before slapping the "berries" into her eating hole. She bit down and started to chew, slowly. There wasn't that crunch, Izol was accustomed to when she snacked on a ripe berry. Instead, it felt mushy and grimy. If she didn't know better, it felt like eating a Muk. Izol stopped chewing for a second, before shrugging nonchalantly._ It doesn't taste... awful_.

The mashed and gooey concoction was a blend of sour, sweet, bitter- all the things, Izol had been used to. The profound taste didn't come together well, but it was far from anything horrible. Therefore, Izol took it upon herself to swallow.

And then the Sneasel felt as the glands in her neck swell and close.

Izol clenched her tightening neck and coughed up everything she had swallowed. The fragments of the meal shot itself everywhere that was in the near vicinity of her- the floor, the tray, and even on herself. When her throat cleared out some more, she stared around her.

"What was in that?!" Izol asked herself.

The discolored Sneasel inspected the surrounding corner. There was mush everywhere, she looked. Izol smacked herself in the face with her icy palms, when she found a small hint of red skin floating on the brown, sewage water.

_Cheri Berries. No wonder_.

Usually, Izol wasn't cautious when it came to any sort of food. However, she was always on the lookout when there were Cheri Berries around. Despite her eating habits of eating mostly berries and some meat, Izol was highly allergic to Cheri Berries. Being the smallest berries, Izol always seemed to miss them, when presented with it.

Izol took a long breath; her stomach turning. "Guess that's a 'No' on whatever that was supposed to be... and now I'm talking to myself for the third time."

At least there's the steak, she could try to eat. The sewage water was an afterthought to Izol. There was no way, she was going to risk her sanity by drinking it. _I'd rather sip on my own spit_. As Izol picked up her uncooked meat, two figures rudely invaded the space, she had been getting warmed up to. These three Pokémon were grinning ear to ear, like a couple psychotic prisoners would. Therefore, this reaction was normal for Izol.

The species of these Pokémon were a Beedrill and a Granbull, standing from left to right, respectively. Izol figured that this poor excuse of a Fairy-element was the leader, while the other one had been his faithful follower. And what would you know, Izol was correct.

The Granbull started to talk, "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Yeah, what the hell are you doing?" The Beedrill repeated, only adding the words "Yeah" and "Hell" to the phrase.

Izol decided to gaze upwards at her bullies, not feeling threatened whatsoever. It was almost entirely pathetic. This better not be another rape episode, or I'm killing everyone. Slapping her flesh down, Izol spoke up to his question.

"I'm eating. What does it look like?" she returned.

"No, you're not! You can't even eat the berries, let the meat alone. Barely touched your drink," Granbull went on. Izol swan her finger around in the brown soup, taunting them.

"Yeah, because it's hardly a drink. I would consider a poison. I'm not in the mood, so if you can just walk away..." Izol attempted to "shoo" them elsewhere, by waving her hands away from her. The two Pokémon stared at each other, surprised that Izol was showing no signs of being actually threatened.

"Do you where you are?" the Granbull questioned.

The Beedrill giggled, like an obsessed fan girl. "She's probably too stupid to know!"

"I've been told that I was in The Junkyard and I know what goes down in here, too," Izol remarked. The Bug Pokémon nodded his head, acknowledging Izol's intellect.

"Oh, so you do know. That means you know that we have no problem, taking advantage of you. So give us your lunch!" It would seem like the Beedrill was simply another soul, who didn't make it in the lunchroom, in time. Izol could've easily given them her lunch, but she wasn't in the mood to be kind.

"I nearly got taken advantage of, today, so I'll pass on both. Is that fine?" Even in a worse mood, Izol couldn't pass on making fun of someone. Granbull started to snort, balling his fists. Oops. I made him mad.

"**YOU DON'T HAVE A CHO-**" Izol pointed her index finger towards the sky, prompting the Granbull to stop.

"Question, and this is an important one. Which one of you 'tops'?" Izol joked, keeping a monotone and uninterested voice.

"You're dead, bitch," the Granbull lugged his fists at Izol for one punch, hoping to kill her on the spot.

*_SLASH_*

But it would seem that Izol had other plans. A large slash later, and the Granbull found himself with a severe gash across his neck. By instinct, he took hold of his open bruise, but it didn't help. Granbull was watching as the blood seeped between his fingers and slide down to his body. Literally, his teeth were biting down on the dust, gritting with seething rage.

"You sneaky little bastard! How'd you do that so fast?!" the Granbull said, coughing.

"I'm not that fast; you're just too slow," Izol sat down her tray, finally standing up. "So are we fighting or not?"

The Granbull fell over in defeat, smearing his own pool of red with him. He wasn't able to sustain his blood-loss any more, than he has already. The Beedrill looked upon his partner.

He stared back at Izol.

Then back at the dying Granbull.

"Just... leave. I don't feel like killing you. Go get him patched up by someone," Izol commanded. The Beedrill simply said nothing, ready to make the killing blow with a single strike with his stingers. His beating, anger-filled eyes gave it away. "Are you going to keep staring at me? You attacked me; I repaid your kindness. Now, piss off!"

"When we get back, you're dead meat!" Struggling, the Beedrill actually managed to pluck the bleeding Fairy Pokémon off the ground and carry him, away. Izol sat back down and looked in front of her. There was one more blood puddle, than she had come here with. _Now, where was I?_ Izol snapped her fingers and picked up her piece of raw, pink flesh.

Tiny, red spots plagued her meat. Obviously, the Granbull spilled some of his blood on her food. When Izol found these spots, her mind kept her from eating it any further.

"Isn't that my luck?! Not only did two of my friends die and I get sent to the worst maximum security ever, but then I have nothing to eat because they want to kick me in the face some more!" Izol hollered. _Great..._

**"NOW I'M TALKING TO MYSELF, AGAIN**!"

"_Psst_."

_Really, again with this_? Izol didn't really want to deal with more pricks. "Okay, what is it-" She stopped herself, when she examined upwards because no one was there. At least, no one who was apprehended Izol. _Am I going crazy now?_

"I swore, I heard a thing!"

_"Yeah, you did hear a thing. Just... turn around_!" Izol followed the advice of the weird voice in her head; still nothing but a wall and a crevice, that was the corner. _Wait a minute..._

Izol squinted at the meat, she failed to rip open. "I knew that meat was breathing! So, I'm not going crazy!"

"Not the meat, you dummy! Your shadow! Uhg. J-ju-just stand up!"

"Fine... pushy," Izol stood up and tapped her feet with impatience. She watched the shade for any signs of this Pokémon, which Izol was still convinced that it was the meat and berries making her crazy. The darkness of the shadows began to bulge and move around.

And what emerged was a Zoroark. Everything fit the bill. He was a grey-brown fox with sharp, red claws and fangs. It had crimson and black streaks on its mane, which had been unusually long, stretching all the way to its back and legs. Izol recognized him, immediately as one. No mistaking it.

"Oh, that makes a lot more sense. So you're just a stalker, then," Izol presumed, frowning suspiciously.

"No! I'm not a stalker; I just hide in this shadow and-"

"Wait for some unsuspecting Pokémon to waltz up to your spot, so you can sexually harass them?"

The Zoroark slapped himself on the front of his face, "No! I'm not like that!"

"Look pal, I had enough for one day," Izol said, unsheathing her claws. "I'll make this quick and painless." The Zoroark was quick to lift his arms in the air, surrendering himself to Izol's attitude. He was smiling nervously.

"My name's Mirage and I'm a good guy, I swear! Just... don't... kill me," Mirage shook in fright. Izol sighed and thought it over herself._ I could let him stay alive and risk being assaulted or killed. But on the other hand, I can take the safe route and kill him, now._

The answer was too clear for Izol. Mirage's neck met the steel blade of Izol's clawnails, brushing against his jugular. It could be over in one slice, but Izol was holding back. Mirage was still alive- albeit, against a wall with no other options, but he wasn't dead. As Mirage sheepishly grinned, Izol couldn't bring herself to take his life.

She retracted her edges.

"Phew... thought I was a goner, for sure. Thanks for not slicing my head off, I guess," Mirage let out a sigh of relief, upon making out those words. Izol still had her emotional guards up, not even letting out even the faintest of smiles.

Izol crossed her arms and mumbled, "You still didn't tell me, why you were hiding in my shadow..."

Mirage flared his ears, "What was that? I couldn't hear you..."

Izol spoke louder, "I said, you didn't explain, why you were hiding in my shadow!"

"Oh, yeah..." He paused, blushing. "This is embarrassing, really. It's kind of stupid and I'm not sure, how you'll feel about it."

"Are you getting on to me?" Izol asked. If I'm not being threatened or assaulted, I'm being asked out.

"No... it's not that." Mirage pointed at Izol's slab of meat, implying that he wanted it. "Are you going to eat the rest of that?" Although she didn't show it through physical emoting, Izol was relieved that this was all Mirage wanted from her.

Izol picked it up and tossed it to the Zoroark. Once caught, Mirage quickly piled the meat into his mouth and chomped down on it. Izol was pleasantly surprised that Mirage managed to chow down and chew up the less-than-cooked meat into smaller bits. _How come he can do it and I can't?!_

Mirage was smiling, when he finished the meal. He turned to Izol, "Man, you really start to appreciate food, once you've been without it for a week!"

"A week?!" Izol said, shocked. Mirage pounded his chest and burped out, leaving a putrid aroma lingering in his stomach.

"My luck, right?" Mirage stretched out his arms, yawing. "I haven't eaten in a good while. Goes to show that the things you appreciate the least, becomes your utmost priority when you're without it."

"Uh-huh... sounds about right." Izol looked down at the ground. Seeing her depressed, Mirage sat down alongside her.

"What's the matter... uhh... _what's your name_?"

"Izol, and it's nothing." Mirage seated closer to the depressed Sneasel, brushing his eyelashes more. He let on a curious, but attentive smile.

"Come on... you can tell me, anything!" Izol didn't respond to Mirage, just sulking per usual. At least, usual since she was given the harsh news about Kite and Sera. Mirage went from a playful attitude to a concerned one. "Hey, Izol; Are you sure, you're okay? I know I'm coming off as a creep, but seriously... you can tell me."

Izol finally decided to stare into Mirage's deep, oceanic eyes. She didn't get lost in them, but Izol could tell that he could be worth trusting. Izol thought it was about time to let down her emotional guards to finally let someone else in.

"Fine, I'll tell you... everything... that happened. But this is between us, okay?" Izol whispered. Right then, Mirage did something that Izol wasn't too familiar too. Instead of agreeing verbally, he pointed up his smallest finger, which wasn't his thumb, and veered near Izol.

"_**Promise**_."

"W-wh-what are you doing?" Izol staggered. Mirage stared at his pinky and peeked at Izol.

"Oh, this?" Mirage wiggled the showing finger. "Apparently, humans did this to show signs of trust towards another. It's called a_ 'Pinky Promise'._ Now, you just have to wrap your pinky with mine and the deal's done. Can you trust me?"

Izol smirked and pointed up her pinky finger. Sure, why the hell not? The two Pokémon joined their fingers together, wrapping around for a brief moment, before letting go. And after that... Izol kept her end of the bargain.

She told Mirage everything.

Izol told him about who she was: A thief who goes around stealing stuff for a large payoff. She told Mirage about Kite and Sera. Then, the somber tales of her last job, which landed her here; From going up the Bell Tower and then being beaten in battle. From being helpless as Kite was left to fend for himself.

And even Blade, which surprised even Izol that she let those details out.

Finally, Izol told the Zoroark about how she arrived and how she figured that her best friends perished, while she was passed out.

**No stone was left unturned**.

Even hearing Izol's story drove Mirage, even to the point of tears. But, he listened. Every word was precious; He wanted to help Izol, the best way he could. Mirage took the time out to console the Sneasel, whenever she needed to cry. And when Izol stopped crying, he reminded her, where she left off. And when she was finally finished with her story- when Izol wiped the last tear from her golden eyes...

A large weight was lifted from her shoulders.

And it felt relieving. Izol sat straight against the wall, tired and finished with what she had to say. "So.. there you go. That's how I ended up, in here. You know what, Mirage?"

"What?"

"It's really relieving to finally take this off my chest. Thank you..." Izol stood up and yawned before continuing. "I think I should head back, now. Someone's waiting for me."

Mirage did the same. When he stared at a nearby window, the orange sunlight was found to be replaced by a light purple and a mix of a serene twilight. This is when the skies and oceans finally melted into something beautiful. And since there weren't as many criminals around, both Dark-elements heard every note the ocean had in its song, forever clashing with The Junkyard's exterior.

The Zoroark looked beyond the place with glee. "Yeah, I'm gonna go outside, then get some shut-eye. Izol..."

"What's up?"

"I want to continue our conversation. Are you doing anything, tonight?" Mirage lead in.

"I'm in a prison... I think my schedule's clear for the night, so sure," Izol said, cold and with zero enthusiasm.

"Great! Meet me on the main deck, when the moon's up! I'll be waiting!" Mirage waved goodbye, taking a few steps back into the shade, where he miraculously appeared out of. Izol walked in the direction of where she came from and bent down to the level of the porthole. The rusted metal was easily movable, and Izol found herself in the same position, again: staring into the depths of the Sewage Tunnel.

Izol took a pause. She didn't take a deep breath or anything. Rather, Izol hit herself on the forehead. "Did I seriously allow him to ask me out?" Afterwards, the young Sneasel frowned.

_**And... I'm talking to myself, again**_.

* * *

**Later that Night... Boomer's Cell**

"So what ya' saying is... you're meeting up with some guy tonight?" Boomer asked. As much as Izol didn't want to admit it, that was the truth. She allowed herself to be swayed by some Zoroark to meet him on the Main Deck. The sun was set and the time was drawing closer. Izol sighed.

"Yeah. Pretty much," Izol affirmed. Boomer's eyes lit up at the sound. _Oh no, here it comes..._

"You gotta tell me, mate! Who is he?! What's he like? Aw... young love. I remember when I had my first love. He ended up _cheating_ on me, so he's not around anymore," Boomer said, laughing. "I didn't know ya' we're such the catch, ya' buckriding Sneasel!"

Izol scratched the surface, behind her neck and shyfully grinned. "It isn't like that, at all. And besides, I'm not interested."

"Ya' say so, now! But once you get intimate and have children, don't tell you that I told ya' so!" Boomer started to wave her launcher out the cell door. "Go on, now! You ain't getting any younga', now are ya?"

"You're insane, Boomer. Don't worry, I will be back before you actually miss me. Okay?" Izol skid the rusted bars away from each other, creating that ear piercing aftermath. But, she was used to the sound and it didn't bother her this time. Izol put on pink foot out the door and took a deep breath.

"Ey', I always got my thoughts here, to keep me company. Run along, now. Don't have too much fun!"

_**"Trust me, I won't**_," Izol replied, taking one last step outside the corridors.

* * *

**Main Deck, Junkyard...**

The nighttime sky blazed above a lonely boat. Nighttime is a somber, but joyous time. The temperature dropped, as the dominating sun was no longer in control of the heavens. It was colder, so it was always the perfect time to be with someone. Probably weather the cold time, using a variety of methods. The glistening stars were always beautiful to look at, let alone the moon. The moon came in different varieties and shapes.

And like the ever changing pace of life, the moon also had its cycles. Sometimes, it would be full. Sometimes, it was nonexistent. Sometimes, the darkness overweighed the light and vice versa. Sometimes, the moon would shine above the rays of the sun, creating a lunar eclipse.

But this particular night, the night where Mirage asked Izol to continue their conversation, is the night where the moon decides to sport a crescent. And the crescent moon was always breathtaking. It took the role of a fingernail and was stylized more than any cycle of day or night.

It was a mystery why most Pokémon would decide to spend this time, lying in bed. This is what Mirage thought of every day of every evening of every night. This Zoroark appreciated the world that was given to him. Sure, it was ravaged and destroyed, but there was always that hope in staring into the great abyss that was the sea floor. "Something could be better tomorrow," he would think.

Again, this was Mirage's serene train-of-thought as he waited for a Sneasel, that was neither a normal-colored one nor a shiny-colored one. But like any Pokémon, he was starting to get on the impatient spectrum. His elbows were sitting on the edge of the boat, hanging above the sea.

"Where is she?" Mirage mumbled to himself. "Maybe, she skimped out on me. Wouldn't be surprising. Izol is not exactly the most spontaneous type." His self-actualization didn't add to the fact, that he was growing more and more weary of just standing there. Mirage stared up to the starry sky and sighed.

"That sucks, it's such a beautiful night sky tonight."

*_Cccrrreeekkk_* Mirage stopped as he turned around to find the large double doors, which would lead to the inmate's rooms, open calmly and slightly. Out came Izol, instead of some scruffy guard. _Well, she didn't hold out on me_. Mirage made himself known to Izol, by shaking his arm in the air, like a wild Ambipom.

To Izol's surprise, no one was here. It would only be her and Mirage, to make things more awkward for her. Izol gently lifted her hand and quickly put it down. "So we're alone, huh?" Izol nervously shook, as she finally walked to Mirage's side.

"Sorry, are you not okay with that? We can always do this tom-"

"N-n-n-no. It's fine. Just surprised, that's all. I thought there'd be other inmates with the same idea.." Izol responded. Mirage played around with his head, letting on an innocent smile, prompting Izol to frown.

"Well, it would be a thing some inmates did, if it weren't for the curfew!" Mirage stopped to point his finger at the crescent move, above them. "Once the moon's up, everyone reports to their cells. Technically, we're not supposed to be out, here."

"Oh..." Izol dragged on that word for a few seconds, before wrapping herself underneath her arms.

"Sorry, if this is weird for you."

"Why did you drag me out here, again?" Izol asked.

"Like I said, I wanted to finish our conversation. But realistically, I thought it would cool to see the night with someone else. It was something... I used to do with another, but it didn't end so well," Mirage explained. _Why would it be a good idea for me to potentially die?_

"There was also something, I wanted to ask you. And yes... I sort of was stalking you," Mirage ended up admitting, feeling sorrowful. Izol seethed a breath, solely from her nose. "I should probably explain, myself."

"It would help, a lot."

"I was hiding as your shadow, for the moment, you stepped inside and woke up. I saw that you were able to pick those handcuffs, with ease. And then I lost you once the crowd ran for the Mess Hall. Afterwards, I saw you take that Granbull, so easily. So I thought... you'd help me get out of here!"

Izol stammered, "Yo-yo-you mean break out?! That's pretty insane. Especially, since we have no way out!"

"I can't tell you the details, now, but I want you to become a part of it. It won't just be us... there's someone else..." Mirage said.

"Who else?"

"She's an Audino. Her name is **_Kain_**. She doesn't deserve to be here... s-s-she has no right being in a hellhole, like this. Not her. Kain's the Nurse- no Doctor, here and she's extremely gentle and kind, yet she's under the command of that dick!" Mirage almost brought himself to an absolute rage, just thinking about how The Warden abused her.

"Where's Kain, now?" Izol concerned herself.

"Clinic. It's on the bottom floor. We just need to get her out of there, okay?" As Mirage questioned Izol, the Sneasel found that he looked just about as angry, as she was when it concerned Kite and Sera. It was obvious that this "Kain" meant a lot to him.

"Fine by me. But I want to bring someone with me. Her name is Boomer. Is that fine, with you?" Mirage smiled.

"Of course it is. It wouldn't be fair of me to reject you of the privilege," Mirage looked beyond the ocean and sighed.

"It's just... I can see that Kain's in pain, every time I end up in that Clinic. She's nice and does what she can to help her patients. And because of my track-record-" Mirage giggled to himself. "I ended up there, a lot and well..."

"You end up becoming good friends with her?" Izol smirked, finishing his sentence.

"You catch on fast! But yeah..." Mirage stared at the wide-open space that was the night and sighed, sadly. "But it isn't just that, though. Every day, I watch so many innocent people thrown in here. They lose all hope in themselves and their spirits are crushed. I want to show everyone that The Junkyard wasn't the end, that you could still dream of being surrounded by their loved-ones again."

"And what about you? What will you do, if you break out?" Izol asked.

"Probably just settle down. Any ideas, where?"

Izol had the perfect idea where. "I know someone in Aquacorde Town, who'd be willing to take all four of us, in. He's a bit on the crazy side, but he's a welcoming guy!"

"I like crazy. He doesn't sound that bad."

"Ew, is that why you stalked me?" Izol joked. "Now that I think about it.. you could've helped me out, when that Feraligatr tried to rape me!" Mirage swallowed hard and pulled back his long mane, blushing.

"I have no idea what you're talking about... Ra-Ra-Ra-rape?! That's awful. Who'd do such a horrible thing?" Mirage attempted to get out of the lie.

"You totally knew about it! And since, you're being dishonest and a jerk, you owe me a nice, hot meal once we get out of here!" Izol proclaimed.

**"WHAT?**!"

"Yep! You're doing it, like it or not. And while you're at it, I know why you asked me out here! You just wanted to get me all mushed up, so you can swoop in and convince me to be your mate. It isn't happening, now, Mirage!"

"I didn't have any ulterior motives! It's just a nice, night out tonight!" Mirage denied, motioning his hands at the starry sky.

"Spoken like a true creep... You owe me!"

"It's really surprising that you turn from depressed to somewhat confident in a matter of seconds," Mirage pointed out.

Izol laughed and replied, "You just haven't got to know me well. And now since you do know me, we are forever bonded. **HA!"**

"You're the one to talk about creepy word choice..."

* * *

**Meanwhile, on a dark shade of the Main Deck...**

"You think we should tell The Warden, about their plans? This could hinder The Junkyard's reputation, as we know it," The Warden's personal Golem commented on Mirage and Izol's conversation.

The other main guard, a Rhyperior, nodded his head. "No. Let the lovebirds have their moment, for tonight. The Warden is taking care of business."

"We wouldn't be good guards, if we don't tell The Warden, Brick."

"Don't worry, Stone. Those two, including that traitor Kain, will get theirs' tomorrow... Let's go get some sleep in the meantime."

* * *

As their argument continued, Izol felt a small, warm light burning in her chest, despite the cold evening. She's finally found another person, she could trust. And maybe this was a sign for better things. Mirage rejected her claims and argued with Izol, making her feel right at home again.

Her playful and cocky smirk was returning to her, as did her rambunctious attitude. After this whole time, Izol finally found what she had been seeking, ever since she received the news about her lost friends.

Just herself and Mirage, standing above the mile-wide river route, which sat underneath the Crescent Moon. She was laughing and joking, like usual, again. _And quite frankly_...

_**That was all Izol needed**_.

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**Oh, hi. Didn't see you there, I was just off doing other stuff. What is that stuff? Well, it involves a direct collaboration with another author to bring an original concept to FF. Who is it? Well, you'd just have read and find out. And what about "League of Heroes"? Remember that the story is completely being written by Legacy918, although I am close in work with the planning and direction. Remember to leave your thoughts and concerns in reviews or PM's! With that said, I am out to fly on my jetpack to circumnavigate the globe. Have fun!**

**What happened to QOTD's? I've realized that by having them, I hinder what my readers can write for reviews. To not do this anymore, I decided to discontinue them. Instead, I will let you guys on soem insight about this chapter. A fun fact!**

**_FUN FACT_: Did you know? The Warden was originally supposed to be in the scene, commentating on Izol and Mirage, alongside Brick and Stone. Also, in a draft, Mirage was going to tell Izol about the state of her friends, but it was scrapped. THE MORE YOU KNOW!**


	12. Post-Extinction: The Council

_A/N: Hi. I first want to apologize. I've only now received my writing computer again and I was sick for most of the time when I said I would post the finale. Hardware took WAY longer than I anticipated and I didn't expect it to come later than the week when The Junkyard Finale would be up. Speaking of which, I renamed Part 4 to the Finale because I decided to rename the actual chapter to something else. Hopefully, I won't get sick/hardware problems for a while._

_Okay. So this baby here is **Post-Extinction** specials. Think of it as mini-chapters that gives more context to the general setting of this story. These aren't meant to be regular length. With that all said, **ENJOY :)**_

* * *

_Amongst this new world_  
_Lies two sides_  
_A head and a tail_  
_Like the ever competing sun and moon_  
_Always in constant feud_

_On the uppermost layer_  
_Lies a skin of might_  
_With influence large enough to make anyone a player_  
_Hidden beneath an elusive sight_  
_Whose authority is imbued_

_At the head is a fairy_  
_At the feet are its people_

_The distribution of power_  
_Suit to protect and lead_  
_Whose lies sheltered the outlying masses_  
_Where truths are buried beneath the skin_  
_And cuts through our warm-blooded flesh_

_Amongst this new world_  
_Lies the side_  
_The sun that will shine light_  
_The beams that burns bright_  
_Where the people will put their faith in_

_But the light's purpose is to shelter the dark_  
_Heroes are meant to shelter the villains_  
_But everyone is bound by the bloody thread of fate_  
_And no one is without a tainted soul_

_Legendaries who tames even the mountains_  
_This side is known as **The Council**_

* * *

**The Council** _is a small group of legendary Pokémon who oversees the entirety of the post-human Pokémon world. They organize the army, law enforcement, citizens, major markets, and the current economy. They harbor all of the responsibilities that would prove too difficult by weaker Pokémon. They are lead by _Xerneas_ and _Yveltal_. Other legendary Pokémon carries out plans made by them. In short, a small government made by the most powerful Pokémon in existence._

* * *

Doors fly open as a Pokémon makes his way inside a long hallway. He has an authoritative stature to him that none other can match. His brilliance, his magnificence, his greatness. Everyone that makes as much as a passing glance to him greets him with kindness and humble hospitality. It was another time he checked up on the world he was living in.

All the while, another Pokémon wasn't greeted with as much passion as his leader. He was simply a follower. No one said anything to him. They would look at him and just pass by as nothing significant happens. He didn't have his brilliance, his magnificence, nor his greatness. He slithered by like the snakelike creature he is.

It was already a tough job leading an army- now he has to deal with the people he works with.

This is what happened to Zygarde everyday and every night. No one cared that he led an army that could potentially mean the life or death of all Pokémon. Zygarde was a black-green serpent with hexagonal pieces on him, making him seem like a Pokémon puzzle challenge. The black frills behind his head popped out like a peacock. He looked majestic. But he was no Xerneas.

Zygarde couldn't stand Xerneas and his golden horns that radiated a rainbow of colors. Nor did he take kindly to his magenta life energy that he was always giving off. He was a deer-like and majestic being. There was no argument that Xerneas simply outclassed him in every shape and form. All of that and he was a fairy-element.

Zygarde and Xerneas was having a walk-and-talk.

"Xerneas, what is that you wish to speak with me about?" The serpent questioned, sliding down the hallway with Xerneas.

The Life Pokémon peeked his head around and smiled. "You know, I'm just here to check up on how my favorite Zygarde's doing!" His voice was peppy and upbeat, never showing any signs of negativity. _There's only one of me to begin_ _with_, Zygarde thought to himself. The legendary disregarded it and answered his question normally.

"I've been doing well myself. How about you?" he rebutted.

"Peachy keen!" Xerneas smiled and showed his pearly teeth, releasing a wind of life into the hallway_. I hate it when he's like this._ Another pokémon swiftly passed by them. It was Suicune. She was a water-element with moves as gracious as the pink scarf she has always boasted around her neck. On all fours, Suicune stopped.

"Morning, boss!" Suicune greeted. "I see that you're happy today!" Zygarde frowned at that statement. _Since when is he not happy? That would be more interesting to know about._

"Hello to you too, Suicune. How is't hangin'?" Xerneas responded.

"Fantastic. I was about to go with Tornadus and Entei to do a lap around Lumiose. Do you want to come?" Suicune offered.

"I appreciate the kind words, but I must stay here and discuss some things," the fairy explained.

"No problem! You have more important things to deal with, so I'll leave at that. See ya!" Suicune ran past the other two and made haste outside of the tower. And as usual, Zygarde was not recognized in the slightest._ This is getting on my nerves, I have to work my ass off and she gets to go racing. What a bunch of baloney._

The Life Pokémon cleared his throat and took more paces towards their destination. "Zygarde. If it is fine with you, may I ask some questions about your current happenings in the army?"

"Go ahead."

"Okay, great!" Zygarde prepared himself for the first question, awaiting his response. "Now... to begin, do we have any casualties from anyone not of a Corporal or Private ranking since our last talk?" Zygarde thought about. _There were more Private and Corporal casualties lately than Sergeants, Lieutenants, or Majors. I don't think there were any since we last talked._

"No. I don't believe so. No. We do not have any deaths from our higher ranks since our last talk." Xerneas beamed brightly when he received the good news.

"Fantastic. I like who we have right now, I don't wish to have that change yet." Xerneas immediately jumped to his next question. "Speaking of higher ranks, did Sergeant Artemis get our message? Is she carrying out her mission?" Zygarde didn't have to think of this. It was relatively fresh in his mind.

"Yes. I received word from the Liberty Base that Artemis just embarked to The Junkyard with three other soldiers. Two privates and a corporal."

Xerneas raised a concerned eyebrow. "Well, that doesn't look good. I thought we told Artemis to keep the details of the mission confidental?"

"We did. I wouldn't be surprised if she took those three along for support, without actually giving away the details of her mission."

"How can you be so sure?" Xerneas pondered.

"Because Artemis knows better. She's great at following orders to the teeth. I would say that she's on the level of a Lieutenant, or even one of my Majors." Zygarde praised.

"Why not give her the promotion?"

"I tried, but she turned them down. All the times I ask her, she always says that she prefers to handpick strong soldiers that she can be socialize with, then some uptight weakling."

Xerneas and Zygarde approached a long door. It was plastered in white metal and reached over like an arc. Zygarde went ahead of Xerneas and gladly opened the door for him. Entering inside, Zygarde was standing in an open space meant for more than two Pokémon. The floors were a marble white and was shining as they have been recently clean. Dead in the middle of the room was a wooden, round table that stretched longwise. At the northern end of the room was a large set of windows that had the clearest view of Lumiose City below:

All the pokémon were watching their playing children run around aimlessly. The wind was clean. The morning sun was shining. The merchants were selling their assorted goods. And the ladies were singing their songs. All of this in the perfectly undamaged city of Lumiose City. Seeing it from hundreds of feet in the air was truly breathtaking.

The Prism Tower was truly the best spot to view the city.

Xerneas trekked inside with Zygarde closing the door. "That's odd. Artemis must truly enjoy her time, then. It's great that at these times, where we could all very well die at any moment, we can still take our jobs in a positive yet serious manner." _Sounds like a Xerneas, I know._

Zygarde sighed, "This wouldn't have happened if the humans weren't so foolish. When do you think we should tell them about the past?" Xerneas opened his mouth to answer his question, only to be interrupted by a cold voice.

"The answer is simple: We don't." The voice belonged to Yveltal. The Legendary Pokémon was a red-black draconian whose wingspan extended in the shape of a "Y". He has pitch black horns across the top of his forehead. The black veins across his body resonated with destructive power that countered Xerneas's life force.

He had been staring out of the window before the two came in and now that he did enter the meeting room, Zygarde would be forced to hear his cocky attitude. "Imagine how many lives that would shatter. Do we really want others to merely live their lives questioning humans? We would rather have the live life as Pokèmon."

"Glad to see you too, Yveltal. What do you mean by that?" Zygarde snarled.

"Easy, my little General. All organisms are curious by nature. But Pokémon were long, but in the control of their human oppressors. If we tell them, then they will question their point of living and ultimately question the sake of The Council," Yveltal enlightened. He dissipated from the air and his dark wind teleported Yveital in front of Xerneas.

"Show off," Zygarde growled. Yveltal placed one of his wings around the exterior exoskeleton of the serpent.

"Don't be so negative. We didn't ask to be bound to this damn city. That was Arceus's idea. That's why we have you!" Yveital said. Suddenly, a green fluorescent glow filled Zygarde's hexagonal pattern. Before Yveltal had time to react, Zygarde forced Yveltal's wing from his body- much like a small shock running through his veins. Yveltal quickly ferociously waved his hand, trying to heal it.

"Ouch... that _hurts_ like a bitch. Don't you think that using your Aura Break factor was a _tad_ much?" Yveltal angrily asked him.

"Sorry, but I don't like to be touched." The two legendary Pokémon stared each other down like dogs._ If he tries to attack me, I'll kill him. He can try, though_.

"Break it up you two," Xerneas interrupted. "Let's all take our positions for the meeting today! Be nice and courteous. Can we all agree on that?"

Yveltal flew over to his spot around the round table and started to trash talk. "I can agree on that! Besides, I can whoop a petty General with my wings behind my back, anyways!"

Zygarde slithered over to his position. "As if."

"Check your element Zygarde. I'm a Flying-element and you're a Ground one."

"I don't need to check _shit_."

**"BREAK IT UP, NOW**!" Xerneas demanded. Zygarde and Xerneas both shot their argument and listened. It wouldn't be the first time Xerneas yelled to quiet those two down. "Sorry I yelled, but you two need to get along. We need to work together to achieve victory!"

The doors swung open and legendary Pokémon, one after the other were entering in. Suicune was first and Zapdos entered last. Each of them took their helm around the table. High noon was soon going to strike a new meeting amongst The Council.

Some time later, Zygarde peered around the crowded table:

_Xerneas_

_Yveital_

_Myself_

_Suicune_

_Entei_

_Raikou_

_Zapdos_

_Tornadus_

_Articuno_

_Victini_

_Manaphy_

_Keldeo_

_Diancie_

_Landorus_

_Looks like everyone is here and accounted for._ _All fourteen of us._ Staring at Xerneas, Zygarde nodded to confirm that everyone was present and in attendance. Afterwards, the clock on the Prism Tower struck twelve times, signaling the beginning. Yveltal cleared his throat and began.

"By order of the current state of the Pokèmon world, we will _begin_ today's briefing of the week. If you would all be as kind as to give General Zygarde's attention. All new questions concerning our forces from last week's briefing until now, will be answered." Yveltal initiated the meeting and Zygarde slithered his way to Xerneas's spot on the table.

"Go get em' tiger!" Xerneas whispered in his ear, as he walked over to where Zygarde was previously stationed. Zygarde took one last look up... and then he smiled to himself. _Just as always. Perfect._

_All eyes were on him_. For once a week, Zygarde had the showfloor. No one benefited from ignoring him. At this point during the high noon, Zygarde was the most valued member of The Council. Even more so than Xerneas and Yveltal, who were the benefactors and leaders of the gathering. Zygarde took a deep breath and began taking questions about the army from the various members one by one.

_**He couldn't have it any other way**_.

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**YEAH! My string of bad luck is over. I have my hardware problems fixed up and I am no longer sickly. So if you are kind enough, just hold out for the next chapter for a tad longer, sincd I can nos make my finishing touches! If you hadn't already, make sure to follow, favorite, and review to assure that these will come faster. I'm back on schedule! Oh, and I apologize again. These thi gs were truly not in my control and I hope I didn't lose too many of you in the process.**

**Expect to see more Post-Extincton specials that will serve as explanation guides to this story's setting! DON'T WORRY. The next chapter is coming VERY VERY soon. With that said, I'm out!**


	13. Chapter 7: The Morning After

_**A/N**: Before you start yelling at me, remember that my schedule is 3-5 days unless I'm busy. Since I posted the Post-Extinction on March 14, when I pronounced that I was back on schedule, it has been five days since. STILL ON TIME... sorta._

_Finally, I have this chapter up. Well... some of it. I lost alot of the sections from the chapters and essentially lost an entire 1/3 of it. But instead of having you guys wait for longer, I simply tried to wrap things up in a nice little bow, while splitting Chapter 7 into 2 chapters all together. Imagine if this chapter was 3x as long. Yeah... I want to keep these at a certain length between 4k and 6k. UNLESS, you want longer chapters. I had to rework a few things because of lost data, but it shouldn't be too hard rewriting the next chapter :). I apologize again for every inconvience and I hope you still read! Expect the next chapter sometime this weekend. _

**TWO SUBMITTED OC'S FINALLY SHOW THEIR FACE**.

_With that said, **ENJOY! :)**_

* * *

**Main Deck, Junkyard**

By the time their "argument" ended, Mirage was standing before Izol, staring down at her short physique and pulling back his long, red and black mane. She peered his blue pupils in the upper-right section of his eye, trying desperately to avoid eye-contact, so that the awkwardness of their conversation would be hindered. The dark illusionist forced out one, dry laugh before continuing.

"So... I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," Mirage hoped. Izol finally stopped laughing to herself and sighed, staring about the water route, where they stood. She wasn't thinking much of it- sort of spacing out completely, only worrying about the future ahead of her. Simply, Izol was making actions that she didn't think about doing. And subconsciously...

Izol was smiling, pulling a wide grin from ear to ear, her golden eyes were twinkling with excitement and wonder. When the Zoroark looked upon Izol, who hadn't confirmed his hopes, he immediately took notice her smiling, gloating a mischievous grin. "OH! You are capable of smiling... once in a blue moon. For a second, I thought you were as depressing as a Gothitelle."

At the same time it was said, Izol snapped back into reality. "What are you talking about? It's just a nice night tonight...," she excused, passing on Mirage's own excuse, as her own.

"You were probably so convinced that you weren't going to show who you really are. But now I know, that you do enjoy my company. Am I right?" Mirage asked, boasting his insistent grin.

"No... not really. You're just really annoying," Izol pouted. Mirage shrugged and stretched out his arms and yawned consistency.

"Sure you don't Izol. I just need to know whether or not you were really up for the plan," Mirage reminded. He allowed himself to let on a small hint of worry, showed by the straight and curious look on his face. "You are still up for this, right?"

Izol hoofed triumphantly, "If I didn't, you'd probably die! Don't worry weirdo, I can break out of here. I'd be worried about your own safety, if I were you." But she didn't stay that way for long when she reevaluated the calamity of their situation. _Wait a minute,_ Izol thought to herself.

"You didn't even tell me how we're gonna-" Izol was interrupted with Mirage's invading palm, shielding her lips. _Was it something I said?_ Mirage was urging Izol to stop talking about their escape by rapidly nodding his head.

"You can't talk about that here!" he warned. _The hell?! He was just talking about it out loud!_

"Fine. Fine. Now stop touching me." Mirage heeds her advice and lifted his hand from her face, taking a fast double-take. Checking his surroundings, Mirage saw nothing on his left, except the large double doors and a dark shadow. Then he turned to his right- more metal and more darkness, but not a single soul in sight. Mirage finished examining his late-night environment and breathed a sigh of absolute relief.

"Good thing no one was watching us or we could be in hell of a lot of trouble," the Zoroark said. Izol frowned and began to twitch her eyes in a disgruntled manner. "You need to be more careful about talking so loud about it. Just imagine if someone was listening on."

"You were just talking about the plan out loud and you're blaming me for talking about the plan out loud?" Izol raised a doubtful eyebrow and rolled her eyes. The gleam beneath her eyelid sparkled and fizzed away.

Mirage made a doubtful look by veering his eyebrows down and straightening his facial expression. "What are you talking about Izol? I never would've said anything about it out loud. You must've merely imagined it."

_Mirage's full of so much shit that I can smell him from here_. Crossing her black and magenta arms, the Sneasel breathes heavily, pouting. "I'm starting to have second thoughts on this thing. It's not like I even know you to begin with..." When Izol's sentence drowned out, the Illusion Pokemon took the opportunity to lean down to the Sharp Claw Pokemon's height.

Mirage poked out his bottom lip and began to beg her, "Pwwease can you help me?" Izol stared at him to find that his eyes were puffy and gleaming with the hope of getting her help. His eyes seemed to have gotten larger, but his hands were curled together. It was like he was praying to her.

A mix of husky begging and squealing eyes were just enough to make Izol crack a hesitant smirk, still trying to make a small frown. "_Uhhhhggg_," Izol groaned to the Zoroark.

"Pwwweeeassse? We cwan get to kwnow weach other mowre." Is he really being serious? Izol took one more look at his pleading face. His eyes began to shine like the ocean waves and his face was convincing as a child Izol would run into at Aquacorde Town.

And she really couldn't say no to that face.

"Fine. I'll still help but only because I know you'll die if you didn't have my help," Izol boasted with a gruff laugh.

**"YEAH!**" Mirage leaped up in the air with his arms and hoarse claws spread across the drafty air with victory. Witnessing his happiness, Izol closed her eyes and let herself smile. _He's such an idiot._ _I guess this is what happens when Kite and Sera both shared a body._

*_PLOOP_* A drop of water pelted Izol on the forehead. Alerted, a pink palm quickly smeared Izol's head. When she ran her fingers down and to her nostrils, the Sneasel decided to take two sniffs. A strong, carbon aroma paired with the slippery substance on the tip of her index finger and thumb. Mirage noticed too; A drop of water alarmed him.

The starry night on this evening was blocked away by a sea of crimson clouds, ready to cry their sorrows away. The crescent moon was now, but only a small apparition trying its hardest to shine through- in which it could not.

Ocean waters around the Junkyard didn't reflect the large red puffs above. The whole night sky now reminiscent of a blanket of pure snow and brightness, sheltered beneath a covering of blood. One by many, rain was falling at faster rates and invaded the ship like an angry army. Mirage sighed again.

"Looks like a big storm's coming. You should probably go inside and get some sleep. I don't need you sick for the big day," Mirage insisted. However, Izol was insisting that he had nothing to worry about. This was signaled by her sheer lack of motivation to move; Izol was just pressing her body against the railway, not a single movement to be seen.

"Nah, I'm good. I like watching the sky when it rains. I always use to do this a while back," she explained.

"With Sera and Kite?" Mirage lead in.

"Nope. Not even those two knew about it." Izol elongated her arms and yawned. Afterwards, she massaged her faded-golden and tired eyes. "But I am getting tired, though. You should probably get some sleep too, while I'm at it."

"What are you talking about? I'm not tired at al-" Mirage stopped himself when he began to flare his nose and intake most of the air around him. "Ah... ah... ahh..."

"_**ACHOO**_!" The Zoroark's face became flushed and his nose flamed a sickly blue. Tending to his nose, a small line of slimy snot ran down the corner of his upper lip. Wiping it from his face, Mirage yawned.

"And you were worried about me getting sick?" Izol asked doubtfully. The rainfall was beginning to fall in faster rates, washing away the Junkyard like a pressure washer. Although the water particles slid off Izol's body like water on ice, Mirage's mane was starting to drench and catch the worse of the storm.

Mirage ringed out his hair, draining some of the excess water "Okay, maybe I shouldn't be out here. So... can I count on seeing you tomorrow?" he hoped.

"Well, you've been a stalker then, so I can't see you not stalking me tomorrow," she clowned.

"Great! We can talk about the 'you know what', then! Try not to get raped till' then." I swear, he just wants to see me sexually harassed. What a weirdo... Izol cracked the back of her neck and began to walk away from the raging storm and the Zoroark.

"Don't worry, I won't." Izol lifted up her hand and casually waved to him without taking another peeking glance. She was now at the large metal doors, which would lead to her cells. There, Boomer was either asleep or waiting for her. _Hopefully, no one catches me past my curfew._ "Night Mirage!"

"Alright Kaive, I'll talk to you tomorrow. See ya!" Izol stopped as she held her paw on the door. When the Sneasel turned around, the Zoroark was no where in sight. He had hid himself in the shadows and left. It was just her and that one thought in her mind.

_Who's Kaive?_

* * *

**Boomer's Cell**

After slipping her body through the cell's prison bars, Izol took a few steps in Boomer's Cell with glee. Beyond the Sneasel by a few feet lay the Clauncher. Boomer wasn't asleep. It would seem that she was waiting on her. Either that or she couldn't get any sleep. The Clauncher's eyes lit up at the sight of the strangely colored Pokémon.

"Ey! Welcome bahk ya' scallywag!" Boomer greeted. Izol paced over to the Clauncher and plopped on the ground face-down, tired and exhausted. "Ya' doin' alright down there?"

Izol lifted her hand, turned her gaze to Boomer and smiled, "Yo. What's up?" Seeing her tired state of being began to send a multitude of thoughts through her head. Boomer grinned mischievously and answered her question.

"I'm boding well maself. You seem to have had a good time yaself, mate. Am'mi wrong?" Boomer alluded. Izol sat straight up when Boomer asked that question. She stared into Boomer's crossed launcher and fin. Boomer got somewhat closer to the Sneasel and began to nudge her shoulder. "You gotta tell me what went on out there!"

_Man, it seems like everyone's acting weird tonight_. Izol reevaluated what she did tonight, poking her chin with the tip of her index finger. "First, I walked out of the prison chambers." Boomer shook her head in disappointment and spoke up.

"I know that much mate, tell me everything after that," Boomer insisted. _Why is she so interested in what I did tonight? It's not like anything went on._

"When I was out there, all I did was talk to him about stuff," Izol brushed off. She didn't even notice it herself, but Izol was smirking. Boomer saw this, however, prompting another nudge on Izol's left shoulder.

"Oh, I see ya' as clear as the ocean blue. What happened after you 'talked'?" Boomer eluded, wrapping her launcher around her back and behind her plump head. Izol scratched her head and giggled.

"It's a bit embarrassing. Do you really want to know what happened?" she asked her. Blood began to run to her cheeks. The Clauncher's excitement doubled when Izol asked her.

"**YES**!" Boomer smudged her face against Izol's own with her eyes sparkling with giddiness. The Sneasel held one of her paws behind her head and sighed.

"Right when finished, he called me by a different name. It sort of ruined the moment." Izol said. Boomer's eye sockets enlarged in complete shock. Izol blushed again, "It was really weird."

Boomer hissed as if she just witnessed Izol getting seriously injured or something. "Ouch! That really sucks, mate. I rememba' when my man called me out of my name when we were doin' somethin' similar." The pink, black, red, and golden Sneasel stared in confusion.

"Yeah... Whatever you say, Boomer. But we're going to see each other tomorrow to talk about another thing." Izol stated.

"And what will that be on?" Boomer wondered.

"I don't I think I can talk about it, here." Izol evaded the question and took a long stare at her friend. Rather than yelling or being overly curious, Boomer simply nodded away in agreement. _That's odd. I'd expect her to be somewhat annoying about it._ It did surprise Izol that Boomer wasn't being obnoxious about it- so much so that she decided to tell her their plans anyways.

The Clauncher and the Sneasel both said their next words at the same time.

"Yeah... we were going to plan an escape," Izol said at the perfect timing with Boomer.

"Yep. Can't keep ya' sex life out in the open like that!" Boomer agreed along the same timing as Izol.

They both stopped. Then they both stared at each other. Both were referring to two dramatically different things. Boomer looked upon in absolute shock, while Izol looked upon in absolute disgust. "Breaking out?!" the Water Gun Pokémon yelled.

"Sex life?!" the Sharp Claw Pokémon screeched, red rushing to her cheeks. "Where'd you get that from?!" Boomer scraped the top of her head with her short hand and avoided making awkward eye-contact.

"Ya' said that the chap called ya' out your name. I just assumed with you being a bit happier and tired and all..." And now the picture of Izol and Mirage mating was plastered in her head. _Thanks Boomer, now my mind's dirty. _But the thought did please her for a small second_._ "What about this whole 'breaking out' thing, you have going on?"

"Well-" Izol couldn't answer her question, when she was interrupted by someone else. The voice wasn't either of them. Nor was it talking to them. And it wasn't happy either.

**"HELP ME! PLEASE! HELP! I DON'T WANT TO GO! PLEASE KILL ME! BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! PLEASE-**" The voice was silenced and Izol heard another set of doors close. Whoever that person was, he was in a lot of pain. Izol, confused, tried to find answers by referring to Boomer. But Boomer seemed frightened herself, completely and helplessly still. The Clauncher was shot with ounces of fear.

"W-w-what was that all about, Boomer?" She didn't respond to Izol, only paralyzed with fear. This isn't like her to be hung up like this. Boomer's lips quivered and her eyes constantly began to blink.

She made out two words. "T-t-t The R-Room..." At that moment, the memory hit Izol like a truck. The same advice Boomer had given her when she first arrived here earlier that morning.

Izol opened her mouth to affirm if what she was thinking was true.

"Didn't you say that you would want to die any other way?" Izol tried to certify her suspicions. Boomer did not answer, immediately leading Izol to her second question. "Boomer... What goes on down there?"

"Ya' don't wanna know, mate." Boomer held her claw and fin close to her body and settled down. She cued Izol to do the same. "Just get some sleep before the guards check if anyone was listenin' on."

Izol heard footsteps._ I wasn't supposed to hear that_? "Boomer, what do you mean?" Izol whispered, but Boomer was already ignoring anything further coming from Izol.

The footsteps were getting closer to their cell. Izol laid down near Boomer and held her tightly. The questions running through her head made her an insomniac. But she couldn't experiencing The Room for itself, just yet.

Though it was too late.

"Did you hear something, here?" Two guards were stationed in front of the cell, where Boomer rested.

"Nah, you probably just imagined it," the second guard concluded.

"I swore I heard something."

"Well, if anyone was awake, we were tasked to take them to The Room. We can't have anyone getting loudmouthed to The Council."

"Man, The Warden's such a pain." The two guards turned towards Izol and Boomer. All they saw was Boomer laid out against Izol's lap. When they looked up, there was a Sneasel with her eyes firmly shut. They both simultaneously hummed a groan.

"They're asleep. Guess we can just go back to our past," one of the guards suggested.

"Yeah... but that Sneasel..." the other said.

"What about her?" The guard checked out Izol from head to toe from the outskirts of the cell. He smacked his lips and nodded his head. "That ain't a normal Sneasel. I've seen some shit, but that's... Just wrong."

"What can you do about a freak like that?"

"Nothing really. She won't last much longer, though. Let's just go..." Footsteps grew quieter and smaller as the two guards finished their conversation on the subject matter. They will leave the two Pokémon to rest well for tomorrow. Boomer snored and moaned in her sleep, showing her obnoxiousness in her sleep. Izol didn't make a sound, only clenching her fists against the nasty comments the guards stated.

_**Izol was still awake.**_

* * *

_**The Next Morning...**_

* * *

**Liberty Base**

Everyone was lined up in a straight line at the base. All the soldiers had been woken up earlier to make haste for a new time. And every last one of them were more than tired and exhausted. Every few seconds someone would yawn and lick their chap lips. The only Pokémon who wasn't tired at all was Corporal Keegan.

Of course, the Infernape was the one who woke them up this early to begin with. He was pacing left to right.

"Now, can anyone enlighten me on why you are all standing here, at this moment of time?" Keegan queried. For a second, no one raised their hand. Then one small hand rose from the crowd. A mauve armband was shown on a right arm. Keegan smiled and chose her.

"Yes, Acran. Do you have the answer?" Keegan called.

Acran was a Floette. These Pokémon have a white body and a green tail, shaped like a spade, and green eyebrows. She was holding a large and a lighter flower with a yellow-orange pollen bud with white and red petals. Around the stem of the flower was a black band. Acran gladly answered his question.

"Because we have not yet begun to clean the base, going against Artemis's orders!" Acran piped up. Keegan beamed and nodded his head, pacing faster amongst the soldiers. Acran yawned and stared up.

The space above was a piercing baby blue. The crescent moon above was still visible to the naked eye and the small twinkles that were the remaining stars had their place in the sky still. Clouds were drifting away to storm somewhere else, leaving behind morning dew. Acran predicted that the time was somewhere between 0600 and 0700 hours.

Keegan stopped and turned to the others. "Correct. At least some of us have some common sense around here." The Infernape harshly glared towards the band of soldiers. He then started pacing some more.

A certain Nuzleaf stretched his arms and cracked his neck with the palm of his hands, "You say that as if you have common sense to begin with..." Keegan stopped and turned his way, steaming from the top of his candle-like head. The Nuzleaf stared up when he finished cracking his neck. And when he did, the Nuzleaf took a large gulp.

Keegan was peering directly into his eyes with wrath. "Do you wish to repeat that, Hiyono?"

Hiyono's voice began to shake as he chose his next words. "U-uh-uh.. I-i didn't say anything."

"Really? Because I swore that you disrespected me!" Keegan yelled, grabbing and pulling Hiyono by his large, skull-like nose.

"Don't you think that you're being a bit... dramatic?" Another voice spoke up. This voice was quieter and slightly more pitched male voice. Keegan stared upwards and directly at the speaker. The speaker was an Abra by the name of Henricks. Henricks was the normal, run-of-the-mill Abra with glasses which had one smashed lens. The blackened Infernape released Hiyono's grasp and glared at Henricks.

"Don't romanticize this ignorance, Henricks." Speedy, Skylar, and Elin began to giggle to themselves.

"And what do you three have to giggle about?!" Keegan shouted. Skylar and Speedy only laughed more when he asked. "Tell me this instant, soldiers!" Elin tossed around his mask between his two ghoulish stubs for hands. He floated towards the livid Fire-elemental.

"We're laughing because there's a certain someone who'd you like to romanticize yourself, sir!" Elin explained, placing the mask back on his face. Keegan didn't respond, but instead blushed hesitantly. The Yamask began to nudge his shoulder. "Get it?" Keegan was still an emotional statue. "Get it? Huh?" Elin nudged his shoulder again. Still no response

Elin held his head close to Keegan's ear. "It's funny because you're in love with Sergeant Artemis," Elin whispered.

"And who'd told you that nonsense?" Keegan desperately tried to write off, shoving Elin away from him. Everyone stared at Keegan with annoyance.

"Are being serious? You can't really hide it," Hiyono said, rubbing his aching nose.

"Yeah, pretty much everyone knows that you like her," Zendan joined in.

"You can't really hide it that well, to be honest, Corporal," Skylar broke the news.

"You're just the village dumbass at this point," Speedy joked. Henricks seemed confused at the statement and rose his thumb towards the Nuzleaf.

"I ran evaluations on everyone's intelligence and I can give a pretty good guess that Hiyono is the dumbest person here," Henricks concluded.

Hiyono leaped up in the air and frowned. "**HEY**! I'm smart! I can do things to!" He pointed directly at the Abra. "If anything, you're the dumbass to think that humans existed."

"Humans exist! They were real!" Henricks defended.

Keegan was growing eerily more frustrated with his fellow soldiers, tensing up his shoulders and shooting steam from his dark head.

**"EVERYONE SHUT UP!"** Keegan let out all his anger and roared across the entire base. The Peanut Gallery clasped their lips and listened further to what Keegan had to say. _Finally, some silence_. The Infernape started again to pace around his coworkers and give orders like he was put in charge.

"Now... You are all going to clean up this mess, right now!" The many groans of Pokémon resonated through the airways. Everyone, excluding Keegan and Zendan, got to work immediately on cleaning.

* * *

**Clinic, Junkyard**

Kite woke up and stared around The Clinic. Nothing new has happened. There was still that blinding light hanging above his wound. And just like yesterday, Kain was happy to be the first one to greet him in the new day. Except Kain wasn't just standing over the Flygon, running some sort of a daily operation. Kite was previously drained from a multitude of drug treatments and study lessons on reading human writing. The Flygon tried to sit up, but his lower chest area was aching for some odd reason. He assumed that Kain ran some last minute surgery on his stomach to ease the pain. Or at least he thought that happened the night previously.

Kite rustled and turned on his body. He turned to his left and there he saw it...

Kain was lying down next to Kite with bandages gripped tightly in one hand and the other rested around Kite's back. The Flygon nearly jumped in shock when he saw her. He simply shimmied away from the Audino and gently eased her hand off of him. He sat up and tested his body.

He clenched his claws.

Wiggled his toes.

Moved around his tongue.

Maneuvered his tail.

But when he tried to stretch his back muscles, his wings did not respond.

_Dang it, still no on flying, I guess_. Kite thought it over to himself and took a look at Kain. She was beginning to open her eyes, one small blink at a time. The Audino tended to her tired and crusty eyes and stared up at Kite. Kite smiled at her and Kain returned the favor.

"Good morning, Kain!" Kite greeted. _Something about her seems happier than usual._

"I see that you're already awake. How are you feeling?" Kain checked up.

"I'm doing fine myself, Kain. Hopefully my flight returns soon. It sort of sucks not flying like I'm used to," Kite pronounced. Kain got up and rotated her head around the axis of her neck, cracking and loosening it up. When she was done, Kain neared Kite and patted his wings.

"Your wings..." Kain sighed and tried to keep a smile, though it was becoming increasingly harder to do so. Kite was growing more concerned about Kain, the more she tried to avoid any truth. "They'll come back to full condition soon, I promise!" Kite's eyes beamed with pristine radiance and nervously peered at Kain. Her hand was firmly placed on Kite's claw.

And they stared.

And they stared and stared at each other.

The Flygon tightened his grasp around Kain's dainty hands. "Thanks, Kain. I know that with me, in your care, I'll be back in the skies in no time!" The Nurse was persistently being bombarded by grief and sorrow, but for some odd reason, she was keeping Kite at bay- in her own trust.

"Very, very sweet. Look like you guys still forget that I'm here and I have functional hearing. Please leave the lovey-duvey stuff when we're out of here," It finally appeared that Sera had woken up from his nightly sleep. Kain quickly peered in the Quilava's direction.

"Sera?! You're awake! How's your sleep?" Kain asked, smiling brightly. Sera nodded and yawned, the side of his small, rodent-sized body squirming uncomfortably.

"I'm doing fine," Sera answered. His straight face led into a fuming and annoyed one, cupping the pink fist over his stomach. "**EXCEPT FOR THIS STUPID GRANBULL SPOONING ME!"** Sera hollered as he tried to wiggle away from the Granbull's grasp, but to zero avail. This guy's hold was tightly aimed at holding down his sleeping buddy. Kite snickered to himself and nearly doubled over, when he saw Sera in that pathetic of states.

Kain tucked in her neck, "Sorry, Sera. He was in critical condition and he didn't have anywhere else to sleep."

"Come on, Sera. It can't be that bad!" The Ground-Dragon guffawed. Sera's eyes began to twitch like flickers to a match, his fire began to lightly inflame.

"This stupid Granbull is getting turned on by this. And I can feel everything!" The Quilava agonized over his backside. Kain and Kite shivered in disgust. That's pretty weird for someone to get aroused by.

"Ew, Sera. T-M-I!" Kain grunted. Sera rustled over against the Granbull and struggled, pulled his hand over his head. The Quilava, upon succeeding in freeing himself, willingly and literally rolled himself out of bed. The Granbull blinked twice and yawned, holding a patched up gash across his neck. Sera got on his feet and walked over to the Audino and Flygon, watching along as the husky Fairy-element crawled himself out of bed.

"Uhhh... My neck..." The Granbull patted his neck, more surprised than actually curious. "What the-?!" He stared up and saw Kite, Sera, and Kain nonchalantly gazing his way in the most uncomfortable and uneased ways. He struggled to lift even one finger and the Granbull managed to pull off one question. "Did y'all? Did y'all do this to me?"

Kain nervously laughed and held her hand to her neck. "Well... Yes and no. I healed you, but I didn't know what species did this to you."

"What does that mean?" the husky Pokémon interrogated. Kain took more steps towards his bed and pointed at the bloodied bandage strapped around his jugular.

"That's what I mean. If you can tell me who did this to you and the circumstances in which everything happened, then I can run a diagnostic on the severity of your injuries," Kain briefly explicated, giving the short run-down on what he needed to do. The Granbull just sat there and thought about it for a while, trying to remember what landed him in the Clinic.

And his contemplation eased into anger, "Alright, I'll tell you what happened." All three were in complete focus on the Fairy-element, blankly staring him down until he began his story. The Granbull started, "So me and my boy was just minding our own bi'ness when dis' honky ass Sneasel came walking up to us."

_Is he talking who I think he's talking about?_ Kite thought. The Granbull initiated the next segment of his story, "And dis' Sneasel wasn't normal- let me tell ya' that for starters-" _Yep, that's Izol._

"Short and black with hot pink highlights on her body as well as pink paws, golden eyes and feathers?" Sera interrupted. The Granbull mysteriously looked upon the Quilava with surprise.

"You know her? She's got one hell of a right swing; That bitch slashed me right in the neck." The Granbull soothed his neck some more and tended to his back. Kite and Sera stared longingly at each other until they sighed and said the exact same thing at the exact same time.

_**"Izol.**_"

Kain raised a curious eyebrow at the Flygon and Quilava. "Izol...? Is there someone I should know about, here?" Kite timidly simpered at the Nurse.

_Oh, right, we never told her about Izol._ Sera coughed on his knuckle, and took upon himself to explain themselves. "Izol's a friend of ours. Before we came here, Izol, Kite, and myself were all doing..." Sera stopped himself, choosing his next words very carefully. "... A thing... and we all got landed here. I thought that she just killed Izol, but I guess she didn't do it after all."

"You seem to be very excited about Izol being alive," Kite sarcastically stated. Sera groaned at Kite, flickering like a match.

"Well, now that you say it, I do remember The Warden bringing her up." Kain thought back to when The Warden visited yesterday. She peered at Kite and Sera, then stared back at the Granbull. She kept going back and forth between the two until her mind was made up. _What was she thinking about?_ Kite asked himself.

Kain kneeled down to Sera's level and patted his head. "Sera, your wounds are rapidly healing at this point. Actually... they're completely healed up."

Sera squinted and averted his stare at the entrance of the room, "Are you saying that..."

"**YEP**! You don't have a reason to be here, so you can go!" Kain smiled. For a second, Sera did not respond until he breathed a heavy breath.

"I see what's going on. You want me to find Izol, huh?" Sera presumed.

Kite scrunched up his neck and shoulders, wrinkling his face, and made a nervous-filled "half-smile". "Yeah... Sorry Sera, I know that you probably don't feel like fetchi-"

"Nah, I'll do it," the Quilava interrupted.

Kite was utterly shocked when he agreed to do it. He was so shocked that it his sentences began to stutter, "Y-y-you'll do it. I could've sworn that y-y-you would've needed convincing."

Sera took five steps away from the clinic and held his hand on the doorknob. "To be honest, it feels kinda weird not hearing her voice." Kite opened his mouth to say something else important, but Sera was thinking ahead of him. "I'll tell her that you're alive, don't worry." The Quilava opened the door and stopped it halfway through. _Huh? What's on Sera's mind?_

"Actually, before I go... there's something I need to ask you, Kain." Kain abruptly faced the fire-rodent before he had stepped out the door. Sera faced the healing Pokémon directly in her eyes. Kite wondered himself what words would come out of his mouth next because he had no idea what he was going to say.

* * *

**Main Deck, Junkyard**

Izol was just hanging by the ship, holding herself over the ocean waters. The Sneasel wasn't alone as she had Boomer to accompany her. Boomer's red bandana flowed over the salty winds and rode about like a small sail on a mighty ship. Izol's golden tail feathers were also blowing in the current of the wind. Sometimes just staring about the horizon didn't need words.

Either that or Izol and Boomer were still dog-tired. Boomer yawned and smacked her chap lips. "When's ya' little mate comin' bahk?"

"Don't know, honestly. He said to meet him here. Or he would just be stalking me. Either way works for me," Izol proclaimed. The Sneasel placed her pink paw over her mouth and yawned. "I just want to get this out of the way and over with. Getting sick of this place."

"So you gonna ask him about that?" Boomer wondered. If he shows up, I will. Izol stared at the blue skies and the bright yellow sun above the horizon. She shrugged.

"Maybe, but I'm not so sure if that's a touchy subject." Izol's face began to bend and she giggled, "But we won't know till we ask, will we!" Boomer couldn't help but catch the contamination of Izol smiling, laughing as she lightly punches her on the Sneasel's shoulder.

"Ya' right! It's probably ain't even a thing!" Boomer reassured. Izol took a glare down at Boomer, who seemed happy to be accompanying her. _Man, I'm pretty glad that out of all Pokémon, she's the one that's been sticking with me._

*_BOOM_* Once again, The Warden was making his inappropriate entrances with his two goons, Brick and Stone. The Pangoro screeched to the heavens as every prisoner straightened up and acted right for once. Boomer was disgusted with the sight of The Warden and his two main guards.

"Great, here comes the two whipped fat-arses with the biggest basta'd of 'em all..." Boomer whispered, standing completely still._ Hey, that sounds like something I'd say._

**"LOOK ALIVE, JUNKIES**!" Like yesterday, this was the same cue The Warden had introduced himself as. And like the day before, when Izol stared about, the deck was just filled with frozen subjects. All of them were literally statues. _What's so scary about this guy? He's probably nothing without those goons_

"It's almost game day! Sergeant's going to be here to examine some things." Great, keep talking about the obvious, why don't you? The Warden was pushing his way through each and every fear-shocked body. He took one dead stare.

"I'm impressed that the death-rate dropped, but I want to make sure that everything is right when she's here tomorrow. If I find that you killed anyone or fail to comply with me, you get The Room!" The Warden sharply gazed around the main deck. "I've been hearing some rumors that a certain group of people had been planning on escaping!"

The Pangoro snapped his fingers and pointed to a band of prisoners, leading Brick and Stone to their positions. This band of misfits included a Numel, a Girafarig, and a Butterfree. Brick, the Rhyperior, crushed his hand around the Girafarig's neck, while Stone lifted the Numel up by his volcanic hump.

They were both trying to shake and wiggle free from their control. "Let me go! We didn't do anything, we promise!" the Girafarig urged as the grasp around him hungered for more oxygen.

"Yeah man, we don't do nothing!" The Numel tried to persuade. The Butterfree raised his left, pixilated-like crystal colored wing and nodded his head against them. He stared fiercely at The Warden.

"HEY! We admit it, we did plan it! But there's not a damn thing you'll do about!" _Is he stupid?!_ The Warden mischievously made a scarier grin and slowly made his way at the Butterfree. As much false bravery the poor Butterfree had, it didn't solve his resolve of complete fear of The Warden. He was shaking all over from his wings to his buggy body.

The Warden cracked both of his black knuckles and hovered over the smaller Butterfree. His alarming stance terrified the Bug-elemental. He began to chuckle.

"Looky here, junkies. We got ourselves a rebel!" The Butterfree was overly frightened at this point. _**AND I DON'T NEED NO REBELS RIGHT NOW!**_" As quickly as anyone could see, The Warden clenched his hands around the small Butterfree, choking away at the little life he had left.

"NEX!" The Numel exclaimed to his pal.

The Sneasel tapped her toes and was growing more frustrated by the second_. I want to do something, but I can get killed in the process._ Izol looked up- the Butterfree named Nex was struggling to hold on as The Warden relished in causing him pain. It was an atrocity to look at.

Izol's big mouth quivered and moved on its own.

**"HEY FATTY, WHY DON'T YOU LET HIM GO**?!" Her outburst took the entire main deck by storm. Jaws were hanging out and even Boomer was staring at Izol with a newfound respect and pity. What Izol just did could potentially land her six feet under. Izol herself didn't feel right from saying that.

The Warden dropped Nex and looked upon Izol with malice. "What the hell did you just say to me?!"

Izol's lips quivered in fear. _My big mouth got me this far, might as well go all the way with it_. As her thought process took back seat, Izol decided to capitalize on her stupidity.

"I said, Mister Warden fat ass..." Izol sighed and placed all of her false bravado into one classic, Izol-like smirk. Her eyes burned a bright gold filled with immense passion.

_**"Let the Butterfree go!"**_

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**Aw, yes. Chapter 7 is now complete. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW ANY OF YOU WILL REVIEW THOUGH. Stupid me. Remember that this was longer, so most things found on the preview will not show until the next chapter. I think that this is a better path for me than posting a 16k chapter. This way, I can expound on some things and give a better impact for some scenes. So.. this weekend for Chapter 8. CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU TO READ IT! I really want to hit the ball out of the park so please be curtious with me. The two OC's were Henricks and Acran, both owned by Error 16! He has no stories as of now, but just look at him with glory. Now with that all said: Here's some review replies from the Post-Extinction Special!**

**We're All Okay: I'm glad its back too :). I was actually VERY nervous that no one will read this because of filler. Happy that you like it XD.**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: I sort of didn't. But sort of did. It's all based on perspective. **

**OPFan37: Yes! Another fan of the Post-Extinction. Guess I can feel comfortable posting more of these. I won't reveal much, but I have plans for Brick and Stone...**

**Ckbrothers: I think we can all argue that Zygarde is the fault of everything in this story. Sadly yes, they are in charge of The Junkyard to an extent. Happy you liked the chapter.**

**666funtimes: Welll... I posted it. Will you not kill me now? Please. I need my life to do good in life. But other words, glad you liked the special and it means alot that you say that I have a knack for writing. I don't see it, but it's still pretty dang cool, nonetheless :)**

**Ajwin11: I won't reveal much, but I will say this. You completely misinterpreted Zygarde's role. He simply doesn't like Xerneas. He's the General... not the villian.**


	14. Chapter 8: Sibling Care

_**A/N:** Man, this was a pain to write. Let alone reduce the amount of fluff into a nice 6k chapter. Nonetheless, I really like this chapter and I hope you like it as well. One of these days, I'll become intolerant from reducing Chapter lengths to conserve and you'll get a 25k chapter XD. Well, you should be able to review this chapter and so on and so forth, so just tell me what you think, **ENJOY** :)_

* * *

**Main Deck, Junkyard**

"Do you know who the hell you're talking with, Sneasel?" The Warden was already pissed that there were conspirators planning on breaking out, now he has to deal with unruly prisoners out to embarrass him. Izol was pretty nervous herself. Her mouth just spontaneously moved on its own and she gets herself in more trouble than needed. The Pangoro was already upon her, standing over the smaller Pokémon with small hints of rage.

Boomer had trouble comprehending the situation herself. It wasn't every day that people talked back to the big man, himself. Maybe this was another of Izol's many jokes. _Izol may not be the sharpest tool, but she knew that talking over The Warden was a bold and stupid move._ That's what Boomer thought to herself, when Izol spoke up.

Then she looked up and saw that Izol didn't change her demeanor. _Nope, she wasn't joking_. In fact, the Sneasel was very serious about it.

And now Izol was being stared at all directions. No man nor woman had turned down the chance to witness the events unfold before their eyes. They knew good and well that Izol was now The Junkyard's idiot.

A soon-to-be_ dead_ idiot.

"The hell are ya' thinkin', Izol?" Boomer harshly whispered at the idiot. Izol managed to crack a small chuckle.

"Actually, I have no idea..." Izol revealed. The Warden was taking one long look at Izol and saw her for all her doing. Whether this would some cue to stall for time or some elaborate prank didn't matter to the beefy watchman of The Junkyard. He was disrespected and therefore, he'll punish accordingly.

"And why shouldn't I? It's not like you're going to do anything about, will you?" The Pangoro hissed, cracking his burly, black knuckles. Izol just stood there- didn't say a single word. _Come on, Izol. You gotta think of something. There has to be something to convince him, otherwise._ Her face was cringing upon her own thought process.

"B-b-because... Uh-h-h," Izol was having more difficulty following up her bold statement, then calling out on The Warden the first time. In retrospect, being louder than needed wasn't the best idea. It would only be a few more seconds that Izol would shatter into the floor like the glassy Ice-element she was. Rationality was not on her top-priorities as of the moment.

The Warden was only milliseconds from pounding away at that smug face, but Izol's mouth, again, did the heavy lifting. "Because it wouldn't good on your inspection!"

Centimeters away from Izol's face, a fist halted its forward motion. The Sneasel fawned her eyes shut and slouched her stance. Izol opened her eyes and thought to look upright to see if he was still angry.

Snorting nostrils, fidgeting fists, murdeous gaze. _Yep, he was still angry._ The only thing that made it worth while to Izol is the fact that she's still alive. The Warden lowered his attack and crossed his arms with an attitude. "And how will that work?"

The entirety of the main deck gasped. Izol was seriously about to ration with the irrational; Talk to the untalkable; Negotiate with the most stubborn. Izol timidly laughed maniacally, scrambling through her words to find the right ones to choose. Think Izol, why would this ever ruin his inspection... Izol hurriedly thought.

"Out with it!" The Warden was gettin ever more impatient.

"Uh-uh-B-b-because... urrr..." Izol tried to find some clues that would help her out. Nothing but the prisoners waiting for her response. _Come on, me! If I was an inspector, I'd practically make him stop feeding everyone every two days_. Like a florescent light bulb lighting up above her head, so did her next words spring to life. Izol now had a plan.

"Do you have anything to say at all, maggot?!" The Warden's voice echoed. Brick and Stone both narrowed their eyes at Izol, who was finally feeling more confident to speak. Boomer idly rested by her, anxious to see if Izol had anything to say at all. _Say somethin' you big ol' doof!_ The Clauncher hoped in her head. The strangely-colored Sneasel still stood there.

"I think she's bluffing, sir," Stone assumed.

The Warden twitched, "Is this so? Because I'll make a bloodbath out of you, if this is your way of embarrassing me! **LAST CHANCE! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO ME!**" Looks like I need to start talking and now. I hope this works...

"Because..." Izol's sentence dragged on some more. The Warden was ready to strike Izol down the moment she finished talking. The killer panda snapped his knuckles. "Because you can't trust anyone to not tell!"

"**WHAT**?!" Boomer confusedly shouted.

**"THE HELL**?!" Brick squeezed the Girafarig's neck tighter in shock. And again, the giraffe couldn't grasp on enough oxygen to break free.

**"ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?**!" Stone finished their choppy sentence. The Golem cupped his hands and gazed hard at the Sneasel. He then turned to The Warden. "Sir, I think she's just bluffing. I think it would wise to finish her now!"

The Pangoro lifted his arm and stopped Stone. "No, I want to hear what she has to say for the short remainder of her life." This nose flared upwards. "Speak, girl!"

"... You see Warden, you wouldn't want to kill him because you'll ruin the integrity of The Junkyard, itself." No one was following Izol's explanation, staring blankly like a pack of undead zombies. Izol sighed and tapped the Butterfree named Nex on his forehead. "You see, the inspection will be tomorrow and the last thing you want is snitches!"

"I still don't get a damn thing, you're saying!" The Warden blew up, stiffening his grip around the agonizing Butterfree, nearly destroying his wings.

"What I mean is, what's stopping me- no- any of us on telling your inspector about you?" Izol proposed with an aura of cockiness and arrogance.

"Hmmm... continue," The Warden insisted. _Wow, it's actually working. Didn't think I'd get this far._

"I mean the inspector is from The Council, right?" Izol asked. In response, The Warden nodded his head. "So, what's stopping us from telling the inspector that you kill your inmates for no reason?" Izol was finally getting her words strung together seamlessly, as she went on. "What's stopping us from telling the inspector that anyone can do anything while they're locked up?" Boomer's eyes widened in shock, witnessing as The Warden began to crumble beneath her smooth-talk, getting more and more nervous. "Sure, you can kill me, but you _can't_ kill everyone! It won't stop _ANYONE_ from telling on the Mister Warden fat ass for abuse!"

The audience began to banter to themselves. This was the first- the only time this was ever considered. Izol became the first flick of the match that sparked the talking amongst the other prisoners. The Warden couldn't just cut them off, so he began to recollect his thoughts and think them over. He was struggling to find some alternative to say the least.

"Warden, this- this- this _**THING**_ is only trying to cloud your better judgement. It will safer and easier to kill her now, before others catch of her ruse. They may want to rebel," Brick warned against The Warden's potential decision of giving in. The Junkyard's benefactor started to groan and hiss, biting down his lips and thinking hard about his next move. Izol balled her fists in an icy press when she heard Brick.

"Shut up, Brick; I'm trying to think of something!" He was growing eerily more frustrated that he was being played by some punk Sneasel.

"But sir-"

**"SHUT UP**!" The Warden enforced. He rubbed the bottom of his chin and smacked his dry lips. Izol was smiling, teeth and all, showing off her skills to break her opponents down, mentally. "You got me, I'll give you that much. There really is nothing I can do about it... I guess you leave me with no choice."

With his open palm, he motioned his hand downwards. Brick and Stone lowered the Girafarig and Numel, respectively, although they were more than disgruntled about it. Nex backed away quickly and hid behind the shelter of Izol and Boomer, shaking quite violently. "You got me, but don't think that this is the end. You'll beg me to disqualify you from the game you dragged yourself in, Izol!" _Wait? Did I ever tell him my name? Probably did, whatever._

Izol made a cocky smirk, "Looking forward to it!"_ I still can't believe I'm getting away with this_, Izol recollected.

The Warden stomped his feet and turned himself around, facing the crowd. "I've been persuaded otherwise to not end any of you in broad daylight for a temporary amount of time. But don't think that I'm dismissing The Room because I assure you that it's not! Step out of bounds and you'll be on my kill list for when the inspection's over!" Brick and Stone followed the defeated Warden over to the large, metal doors and entered it, exciting the premisses with Izol and her amazed peers.

"What's goin' through ya' mind, Izol?" Boomer muttered to the proud Sneasel. Izol giggled, turned to her and shrugged, not-as confidently as her speech led the Clauncher to believe.

"No idea. But it worked, didn't it!" Izol gagged. Boomer nodded her head and cracked a laugh alongside her.

"Ya' one crazy Sneasel, I swear on Arceus." Boomer observed around and saw that the entire focus of the room was directed at Izol and Boomer. Each were surprised to see that someone as fresh as herself managed to talk back and not let herself get killed. _Man, this chick's weird. She never ceases to surprise me!_ Boomer thought.

And then Boomer found something particularly odd. More specifically, from her height and stance, Boomer saw the bulging of the grey beneath Izol's pink feet. It breathed in and out like some sentient shadow. "Ey' Izol. Back up for a bit..."

"Okay...?" Izol took a few steps back and brought up a disoriented eyelash. What's she talking about now? Boomer harshly squinted at the shadow. It hadn't moved from its current position underneath her companion. She took up her launcher and held it back, forming an ocean blue stuck of wood.

*_CRACK_* With one swing, Boomer smacked the crisp air and connected a direct hit on... Something.

**"OW! THAT'S HURTS**!" The shadow flickered and dissipated into a larger Pokémon with a black and red mane with deadly claws. The Crabhammer created a small knot on Mirage's forehead. Izol jumped back in surprisal.

"MIRAGE?! You were here the whole time?" Izol echoed. _And yet again, Mirage just sits there and does nothing while I do the heavy lifting._

"Uh... yes?" Mirage said.

Boomer tittered silently and winked at Izol. "He's pretty cute, I won't lie."

* * *

**Sometime Later... at Boomer's Cell**

"Boomer and Izol, I'm glad we could all get together and finally talk about this thing! So, since the guards are out, dealing with the other prisoners, we can talk about our plans of well.. You know..." Mirage brought to attention. The Zoroark was so anxious to get the ball rolling on the escape plan, that he barely stays still in his position.

"So what's the plan, Mirage?" Izol started things off. "Or what are we going to do to get out of here." Mirage stared into the expanse of the empty halls and quickly looked back at Boomer and Izol, cupping his mouth near the two females.

"The inspection..." Mirage whispered.

"What does the inspection have to do with any of this?!" Izol was quick to write it off as some outlying factor that had nothing to do with anything. Boomer saw it though, crystal-clear.

"The Warden will be too busy dealing with the inspector then he does the actual prisoners."

Boomer nudged Izol's shoulder and got close to her ear, getting her full attention on the situation. "I think ya' need to ask 'em, mate. It wouldn't kill to know," Boomer whispered in Izol's eardrums. Izol didn't want to bring it up, since it could've insinuated more than it could intentionally let on. So she just sighed and interrupted him.

"Mirage, there's something I want to ask you..." Izol chirped, twiddling her fingers as small red rushed to her cheeks. This is going to make me sound clingy and desperate, I just know it!

"Yeah, what is it?" Mirage tried to inquire.

"Yesterday, you never told me..." Izol began, feeling as butterflies racing around her stomach like many tiny Ninjasks. "And I just wanted to know... ummm... You see, I just wanted to know..." Mirage slowly moved his palm in a circular motion, signaling her to move the pace along, faster.

_Just out with it, Izol. Why am I so nervous about this?_! Izol just decided to let her words flow out like a bullet train. "How'd you get in here?" Those words- those two words struck Mirage like a truck. His breathing quickened and his sweat pulsated.

The excitement turned into sorrow. "Well... Here? You want to know how I got here? T-the Junkyard?"

"Yes mate, why'd ya' think we ask in da' first place? For fun?" Boomer rolled her eyes at Mirage's stupid question. Izol's blood filled cheeks still remained as she sighed.

"If it's too much of a problem, then you don't have to answer it, you know that, right?" Izol's embarrassed frown reminded the disgruntled Zoroark. Mirage nodded his head and sat by the wall where Izol and Boomer had slept the night before. Boomer saw the embarrassment plastered on the Sneasel's face and smiled.

"Nah, you were kind enough to tell me your problems, it's only fair that I share mine." Mirage propped himself, Izol, and Boomer down on the floor and stretched his arms out. He smiled, but the Cluancher and the Sneasel could sense the pain he had been enduring by holding out on this information. He laughed in a dry manner and closed his eyes, leaning his head down.

"I guess I won't get anywhere by being secretive. If you really want to know about how I got in here, then I won't leave any corners cut." Mirage pulled back his long hair and sighed to himself. "It's just a painful story to tell... _**that's all.**_"

* * *

**Clinic, Junkyard**

"Actually, before I go... there's something I need to ask you, Kain." Kain abruptly faced the fire-rodent before he had stepped out the door. Sera faced the healing Pokémon directly in her eyes. Kite wondered himself what words would come out of his mouth next because he had no idea what he was going to say. They only stood there and stood at Sera, who was gripping the doorknob hard.

"Yeah, what is it?" The Audino graciously smiled, awaiting a response.

"What's the deal with your sister?" Sera's words struck the Audino like a thousand swords striking at her heart. The pain easily turned Kain's mood into a foul and depressed one. Her smile turned into a frown. Her voice got a little deeper. Hints of hidden pain were showing on her face_. So I was right, something did happen between them._

"How do you know about Kaive?" That was Kain's simple question. Sera is now the statue, who didn't want to tell her about his eavesdropping. "Well... I'm waiting." _Just get it out of you, already. She won't kill you over it._ Sera breathed a small puff of dust and ash.

"I overheard you and The Warden talking yesterday. He mentioned your sister and I was just curious..." Sera explained. Kite could only stand there and look confused at the current situation. It wasn't like the Flygon was listening in at all during the Pangoro's violent visit.

"Oh." Kain said. She squeezed her left arm and tried too hard to forget it about it all, but as much as she wanted to, the Audino simply couldn't. "If it's fine with you, I don't feel comfortable talking about it." Sera faced the outside of the Clinic, again.

"I was just a bit worried, that's all. I don't like seeing people in pain... So please just... Tell us, Kain. It will only make you feel worse," Sera told the Audino, holding a solemn yet serious tone to his voice.

"Sera... Why are you concerned, now?" Kain asked.

"Because... Seeing you like this is weird as hell and it's going to bother me!" Sera tried to cover in a selfish desire. _Geez, it's not like I care or anything. She's such a weird nurse_. Kain, although depressed still, had a small smile from what Sera had to say.

Kain simply gave up on withholding more information from Sera, let alone Kite. The Granbull had a small frown glued to his face. "Man, you guys have some drama issues!"

"Shut up, before I decide not to treat you!" The Audino rolled her eyes, sitting on a mattress near Kite's body, tapping the spot near her, inviting him to come and sit. Sera closed the door slightly and gladly seated next to the kind Audino. The Granbull had no words and Kite, as well as Sera, was listening on.

"Kain, try not leave anything important out, please!" Kite said.

"So the truth then. I guess I should tell you about her...

_My late sister, **Kaive**_."

* * *

_I wasn't the timid little Zoroark, you're used to talking to. Actually, I wasn't anything nice. Just a cold-hearted killer who needed money. That's the basic logistics of it, at least. Or at least, that's what people saw me as. The Zoroark who hid in the shadows._

**_The Shadow Mercenary._**

_I was a mercenary- "Kill for hire", "Self-made murderer", "A Greedy Assassin", you name it. People had me do the dirty jobs and I would get paid a reasonable amount, no matter what the job was. It was a pretty dirty job to do. No one that was close to me, liked what I did._

_Except my sister, that is_.

* * *

_My sister and I were simply your two, ordinary Audino who happened to specialize almost exclusively for healing patients. Or at least my sister was good at it. Everything I learned, from simple stitching to full-on Pokémon surgery, I learned from Kaive._

_The **Miracle Worker** was her pet name._

_Because she did exactly that- make miracles in her line of work. Kaive studied and perfected human nursing and doctoring tactics on Pokémon. Is "doctoring" a word? Well, whatever. Recently, she had accepted a five-year job to a little security prison called The Junkyard._

_And guess who tagged along? Yep, it was me._

* * *

**Jublife City, Sinnoh... 7 Years Ago**

_Back in my mercenary days, I was a brutal killer. Not giving my mercy to anyone. You wouldn't recognize me as the same person._

"**PLEASE**! I swear I'll pay, just put in a good word for me! I beg of you!" Mirage nodded his head. A lone Furret stood alone in the drizzling storm. Not another soul was nearby to hear his pleas of anguish and helplessness. The only person that could hear his cries were a Zoroark. The same one that was about to kill him.

"Sorry, but I wasn't paid to watch you cry over my knees," Mirage lifted his dark blade of a Night Slash and held it to the Furret's neck. A pool of tears was the next to fall from his face. He knew very well what would happen next. So he waited.

And Mirage delivered on his promise. Nothing except a Furret, a large red pool of freshly juiced blood, and a severed head was being washed away by the calming storm.

_All I would do is kill people for money. You'd be surprised on how many heads I rolled. I was a no-bullshit sort of guy. A mercenary who resided in the darkest shadows. A mirage to everyone who had taken even a passing glance. That was me in a nutshell._

* * *

**Clinic, Junkyard... 7 Years Ago**

_Me and my sister were pretty much inseparable. We were given a small room to work with. It was a Clinic, but it had all the basics Kaive needed to work on her patients. She was my teacher and I was her little Nurse and her little student._

"Hey, Kain. Can you go get me something to soak up this blood with?" An Audino with a purple coloring on her body, instead of the usual light-pink, towers over her laid-out patient with a scalpel and some latex gloves. She was digging inside her body to carefully extract something. On her face was a surgical mask.

Kain quickly nabbed some paper towels and rushed by her sister's side. "Here you go, sis!" Kaive reached back with her left, not-as-bloody latex glove and took it from Kain.

"Thanks, Kain! You're doing so well, I might have to promote you to Nurse Kain!" Kaive led to, winking with her right eye. Her younger sister's eyes twinkled with a small sparkle as she became overjoyed.

"You really think so?!" Kain leaped.

_I was a glutton for the compliments. Like any Audino, I was trained to specialize in the medical field. It was very important to me that the very best Doctor would give me praise. Even if she was lying, I didn't really care_.

* * *

**?**

_My sister was a young Zorua named Alice. She had the oddest fascination with what I did for a living. Alice just tagged along and got a cut of my earnings, every now and then. I really wanted the best for her_.

"Hey, Mirage! What're 'bout to do!" A Zorua rushed ahead of Mirage's walking path and stuck out her tongue. "Ha-ha, I'm faster than you! You need to be faster, big brother!" Mirage was simply ignoring his little sister, grunting and rolling his eyes.

"Ssssuuuurrre you are, Alice." The sarcastic Mirage kept checking his surroundings to find any clues on his next target. Wherever, that may be. He bent forward and rubbed her smaller mane, trying to get a smile on. "But can you stop being annoying, so I can focus on my job, sweetie?"

Alice pouted like any young child would at the time. "You're such a weirdo sometimes. You're giving me some Coin after this, right?" Of course, Alice was still a kid and kids like money. Even the smallest amounts of money seemed like a pile of gold to younger children. Her innocence was both a blessing and a curse, according to the more experienced Zoroark.

"Sure, if you stop talking and let big brother think for himself!" Mirage insinuated.

_She wasn't all that, but I can tell that she wanted to grow up like me. Alice was a fighter and wasn't even afraid to confront me, even after all the shit I'd pull for some side cash._

* * *

**Clinic, Junkyard... 6 Years Ago**

_Of course, Kaive **WAS** my teacher as well as my sister, so she did her best to make sure that I received the best possible learning. So... that's when she taught me to treat patients on a level, no other Nurse nor Doctor could reach to. And Kaive was the perfect person to teach me those things_.

"Okay... so just keep a steady hand," Kain was currently holding a small, clean lancet over an unconscious Quagsire. The shiny Audino was right behind her with her lens-less glasses, cheering her own. Kain just kept on mumbling to herself, "Steady... Steady... Steady does it..." Any false move would deliver a painful cut across the open cavity that was his heart.

"Come on, Kain, you can do it!" Kaive excitedly watched by. Come on, come on, come on. Kain made her careful cut across the pulmonary arteries and the pulmonary veins. Focus... Just gotta cut through the aorta, and I can remove the heart, then. The heart was still beating like a drum, not skipping a single beat. The red gooey filled bag that compressed and oozed that thick substance was soon to be properly removed.

Kaive's violet eyes glittered. "You got this, sis!" Kain quickly turned back to see the proud look on her sister's face, smiling... while she still had the tiny lancet in her hand.

Kain grinned from ear to ear, "You really think so?!" Kaive's proudness was met with a nervous and extremely cautious attitude. She bit down her teeth and pointed at the lonely Quagsire. Alerted, Kain quickly turned her view back towards her patient, but it was too late. She allowed her hand to slip.

Blood spurted out of the Quagsire like a faucet. The right side of the heart pump had a ridiculously long slit cut from its vulnerable tissues. Kain could only watch in despair as the Quagsire slowly bled out in its sleep. One squirt. Two squirts.

And one more for good measure. A heavy red got on the blue body of the Quagsire, the pink nose and chest of Kain, and the purple toes of Kaive. The younger sister sighed as she pointed at the blood clotted cavity of the Quagsire's chest, "Is he dead?" Kaive skimmed over the laid out body and noticed the large cut made across his right section of his heart. She zoomed closer to the heart and saw it for all its damage.

"You completely wrecked the right ventricle, the right atrium, the tricupsid valve, and a good chunk of the left atrium." Kaive found out. Kain shook on standby, holding her once proud head down.

"Is he..."

"Yep, he's dead," she nonchalantly concluded. Kaive's face bent down in her anger as she slowly faced the sad Kain and the patient she had just murdered. "You can't keep your eyes off your patient during surgery! If we weren't in The Junkyard, you would've lost your job, like THAT!" Kain's emotions were welling up inside her as if a retention pond was filled to the brim with tears of the sorrowful. Sooner than later, Kain began to sniffle.

"I-I'm sorry, Kaive. I didn't mean to-" Kaive's hand made its way on top of Kain's cutesy, pink ears. The older sister sighed and ruffled her head and ears. Her small anger didn't last long.

Kaive blankly stared at her, "I know- I know. Just be careful. Lives are at stake when we do our job. You're good Nurse, don't get me wrong... But you're not on the 'Heart Transplant' level, just yet." Kaive let up a gentle smile and her younger sister repaid her kindness.

_Even when I always screwed up, Kaive was always encouraging me to do better. She had just the right words for every situation. I wanted to be like my big sister- **nothing would make me happier.**_

* * *

**Nimbasa City, Unova**

_But then I made a mistake..._

_A job was the one thing standing between me and continuing to do what I do best. But I underestimated a job that I had to do. And I was going to pay nearly everything to make it right again._

_I remember the night vividly. There was not a single cloud in the sky. Just the starry field that I would always remember as the day I failed. My mission..._

_Assassinate **Sergeant Raine**, a high-ranking Noivern serving in The Council's military._

It was about a night like any other. It was usual for the Sergeants to get together and just socialize. This happened every so-often, therefore I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to strike. It would've been an easy kill...

"_Arrrrrrrttttteeeeeeeeeemmmmmmmmmiiiiiiiissssssssssssss_... You **HAVE** to try this... Uh.. This um." Raine held up a small glass cup with the grasp of her weakened wings. It had about a few ounces worth of berry juice and probably some water. Artemis was carrying the disgruntled Noivern on her red steeled back, she was growing more and more annoyed. "Whatever that man slipped in my drink is making me feel really good."

"You are _definitely_ intoxicated, Raine." Artemis snickered, holding her partner firmly in her grasp. Raine's face drooled over the floor, in front of Scizor's red feet. Each step was a small challenge, in of itself. One step made one, hard, steel clang on the destroyed pavement. Raine stared up to the sky and at the half-destroyed Ferris Wheel in the distance. The Noivern hiccuped. Artemis laughed, "Told you, so. Even if I wanted to get wasted alongside you, someone has to drag our drunk asses back to our bases at the end of the day." Artemis giggled.

"I guess you're right-" Raine was interrupted again by a hiccup. Artemis sighed to herself.

"You really are hopeless, Raine." The Scizor took a double-take around the area of Nimbasa. There was the broken Ferris Wheel and the closed off buildings which was originally a walkway and a gym. Artemis didn't know- nor did she care. She simply located and layed Raine's long body along a nice, wooden bench. The Noivern's body was sprawled across the bench with Raine constantly giggling and laughing like a monkey.

* * *

**Meanwhile... Behind the Ferris Wheel**

Mirage bent down near Alice, who was extremely focused on the events unfolding before them. The Zoroark wasn't ignorant of their opportunity, either. Alice grinned fiercely from ear to ear. "Mirage, this is our chance! Let's go get her!" Mirage was quick to the draw in shielding Alice's mouth.

"Shut up, Alice! You're gonna get us both killed!" Mirage's reinforcing attitude began to get on even Alice's last nerves. The Zorua shrugged his claws off her lips and held her hair back in a mighty fashion.

"Fine. Fine. Whatever you say, bro. Try not to get killed out there!" Alice sarcastically warned. Mirage rolled his eyes and manifested a dark strand of energy in the palm of his hands. He took one last look at Artemis ad Raine from the confinements of behind a Ferris Wheel.

"Don't worry, by the end of this, the only one that'll be dead is Raine." Mirage assured.

"Is that so?" _It all started with that voice. A stern, powerful and brutal voice. I was being tailed in my own shadows, and I didn't even know it. I remember turning around as quickly as he spoke. He was a Chestnaught. A strong and strict Chestnaught._

And he had Alice in the grips of his left hand.

"For the so-called Shadow Mercenary, you ain't good at watchin' yer own shadows," The Chestnaught spoke out, taunting me. All I could do is stare like a dumbass as he gripped harder around her dainty neck. I knew my position: Don't move or she's as good as dead. So I didn't. I didn't move a muscle.

"Who the hell are you?" Mirage roared. With his right hand, the Chestnaught smacked himself on the forehead. He was admitting his own stupidity and making me even more pissed off than I already was.

"Oh, I forgot my manners. My name's Tank. Sergeant Tank!" He raised his right palm at me. And I still didn't budge. I wasn't going to let this dick get to me. "Guess you're not a handshaking type of guy. My bad. Well... Let's cut to the chase, now don't we?"

"What's your deal? Why attack me, now?" I asserted. But all he had to do was smack his lips and nod his head.

"All questions will be answered at the end of the day. Please refrain from using them," Tank was chortling, mocking me. I was about ready to kill him, but Alice's life was on the line and I couldn't risk it. She looked up to me, after all. "Here's the deal Mirage, you have five seconds to decide whether not you want your precious sister to live another day. Choose Option A and your sis lives, but you come with me. Option B includes both of your bodies dead at my feet."

"_Five_..."

He was playing with my mind and it was absolutely working. I couldn't catch control of my feelings, so I just growled and barked like a beast.

"_Four_..."

If I allowed him to kill Alice, then that would be a load off my back. But I couldn't live with myself for the rest of my miserable life.

"_Three_..."

**"MIRAGE! TELL HIM TO STOP**!" Alice was driving the point in my head that I needed to do the right thing. "**BIG BROTHER**!"

"_Two_..."

Time's running shorter and shorter. There was only one possible thing to do. I had lost and the Sergeant had won. As much as I hate to admit it.

"**One**..."

Tank's grasp finally hardened and began to crush my sister's throat. I saw his grip get tighter and tighter the longer I waited. Seeing her squirm filled me with an anger unmatched. But there was nothing I could do to help her. I was in a position of no negotiation. I'd either heed to his demands or I'd watch her die. He knew this very well and stared into the panes of my soul. I sheathed my weapons and sighed.

**_"Fine. I give up... Just let her go Tank!"_**

* * *

**Boomer's Cell...**

"And then he let her go. After that, I don't remember much from that day. Alice was let go and I woke up here. With the stupid rules and crap, I was stuck here. Forever haunted by my dark and murdeous past," Mirage was finally getting around to finishing his story. Izol and Boomer were speechless_. I didn't expect Mirage to have done things so dark. Guess I can't call him a pushover anymore. _Mirage was able to just go about his manner in a calm and intelligent, yet smooth fashion. A ruse of sorts that Boomer and Izol picked up on, but never said anything. There was pain behind those eyes.

"Woah, that's some pretteh' hard shit. And I thought I had it bad. Sorry ya' couldn't fully protect ya' sistah'!" Boomer consoled. Mirage stretched his arms and yawned.

"It's not that big of a deal. It happened six years ago when I was sixteen years of age." The Zoroark very much eased the pressures that resided within the cell. Izol finally took in all the information and decided to speak up once more.

"You suck, Mirage! How can you let yourself get beaten by that douchebag of a Chestnaught. If I had my way with him, he'd be as good as dead!" Izol tried to boast, even if it revealed that she possessed some resentment for the Sergeant still.

"Sure you will, Izol," Boomer doubted. Izol stuck out her tongue at the Clauncher in an immature fashion.

"I totally would take him out! I even got out those handcuff things!" Izol bragged to herself.

Mirage decided to sit back down and get close to the two girls, whispering very softly. "Guys..." Before he began, Mirage took a peek outside her cell and made sure that no prisoner nor guard was listening. Izol and Boomer gave their full attention to Mirage. He smiled and crossed his legs.

_**"Here's the escape plan, ready?!"**_ The sailor-mouthed Clauncher and the Shiny-Yet-Normal Sneasel nodded in agreement.

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**What have I been up to? I decided to switch gears on a certain project I'm making and do something a bit... different to make it more interactive. I have been in close contact with Legacy918 over other mediums of messaging. Other than that, same old same old. This chapter was solely meant to go more in-depth with Kain and Mirage, even though it had traces of Sera and Izol. I can't wait to get the next two chapters since those will be the LAST chapters of The Junkyard. With that said, let's go to review replies of the last chapter (NOT the Update):**

**Ckbrothers: Too bad we won't know more until next time. But this should've answered half the question of Mirage's identity :p.**

**Error 16: Who said that Mirage and Izol were the only ones who wanted to escape? Not me XD**

**Aurora668: Did it meet your expectations? Did it blow your brain matter?!**

**Jamez S: Izol come through! I really loved writing Boomer and that scene in particular.**

**Malicious Gravy: So... many reviews. So... happy. I will say that ONE of your predictions and concerns are correct! All the rest are just wrong :p. OR ARE THEY?! I''ll just keep you all guessing.**

**Spacemarine64: I wish I do too. :)**

**FUN FACT: Alice's name is based off a six-beam katana weilding penultimate boss character of a violent Wii Game. Hint: She was in the sequel.**


	15. Chapter 9: Illusion of Seperation

_**A/N**: Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. To the 9th Chapter of the story! This chapter took some time, as I am a perfectionist and hate for the quality to lack in areas. But, if you get over that, then you have a nice, 6.3k __chapter on your hands. Still trying to keep these a certain length, which I may change after this arc is finished. Other than that, sit back, grab a soda, and **ENJOY :)**_

* * *

_Reunions are oftentimes, one of the greatest feelings ever. One the other hand, coping with the feelings of seperation, is one of the worst feelings. If there is one you cherish, they will always be with you in your mind, even when seperated. Thus, is the** Illusion of Seperation**. Because you are never alone, even when you think you_ _are._

* * *

**The Clinic**

"What happened to her?" An injured Flygon had been investing his attention on the story of Kain and her sister, Kaive. From mere stares alone, Kite could tell that this story was one that she had a problem retelling. Kain stopped her story there and did not bring herself to conclude it. Simple context alone, Sera deduced what could've happened to her shiny, purple sister. The perpetrator was a fat, burly Pangoro with a green, leaf shoot sticking from his mouth.

"Did The Warden kill her?" Sera asked. The Quilava had that nagging feeling in the back of his head that he may have gone one step too far. It probably wasn't the safest question to ask the Audino.

Kain's eyes twitched and shook in sadness, bringing about small trinkets of tears, which would run down the left and right sides of her face. She abruptly took a stand and bit her lower lips. "It's nothing. That's as far as I go."

"Kain, I-" The Audino raised her hand, stopping Kite's next words. She began taking her path towards the injured Granbull.

"Man, y'all got some problems," the Granbull spoke out. "I have never seen so much drama in one place before!" Kain was now standing over the Granbull's bed, facing away from Kite and Sera, refusing to even take one more look at those two.

"Kite, please. Just... drop it. I don't want to talk about it further so I won't talk about it further. Do me that solid and shut up..." Kain bawled. A shocking revelation slapped Kite like a gust of icy wind. Kain didn't just stop with the Flygon, though. When Kite took it upon himself to close his mouth, the Nurse murmured at Sera's like.

"And Sera... Go find your Sneasel friend. If, she isn't already dead by now..." It would seem that sharing the story about her sister only made the air tighter and awkward than what it was before.

Sera heeded to that next request very carefully. He crawled out of Kite's mattress and headed towards the door, the same door that would lead him out of The Clinic. With one of his stubby paws, he twisted the doorknob and pushed it ajar. Before he exited, Sera murmured, allowing Kain to hear his message. "As long as you keep it a secret, the more painful it'll be to keep it inside." Kain didn't say another word to the flaming weasel; she was too occupied stitching up the Granbull's neck. Sera was taking that hint too well.

The flaming weasel breathed out heavily, "Whatever, if you want to be like that, fine. Just don't come crying to me, if have anything else to say."

"_Bye_." Sera then closed the door.

* * *

**East Junkyard Interior 1F**

_Where would you go to find a Sneasel? Or at least, an Izol?_

Not that bad of a question, but it was one that Sera didn't think he'd be answering in his lifetime. The pace at which he was creeping wasn't too fast in the slightest. Sera stared around at the empty hallways of The Junkyard. The Warden said it was a maximum security place for the hardest and worst criminals alive.

If that was the case, then where are all the prisoners?

It wasn't like there wasn't any, but more cells were empty than full. There was still enough racket in the hallways to annoy the Quilava to the point of combusting into flames. Hard steel floors. Hard steel ceiling. Drafty and oddly unpleasant air supply. All of these things and more were to put a small frown on Sera's attitude.

Guards would give him funny looks, like they never saw a Quilava in their lifetime. Prisoners would give him the angry-jealous side-eye, plotting to murder him, first chance they get. And whenever Sera would want to complain, he would then get a long face of pure annoyance. Sera had neither Kite, Izol, or even Kain for that matter, to talk to. So, the Quilava silenced and made his complaints only known to him and him alone.

"Where is she?!" Sera questioned himself. "It isn't like she blends in well..." The Quilava kept moving and moving, yet the hallway seemed to stretch further and further. He blew hot air out of his lips. "This is going to last forever, isn't it?"

Surprisingly enough to Sera, no one was currently apprehending him. But the fact didn't change: Sera stuck out like a sore thumb. When looking around at his fellow inmates, there were many things which they all had in common.

There were two vicious Arbok. One of the poisonous snakes had an ugly looking gash across the side of his face. They all smelled too- that was a big one for Sera. The smell of rotten flesh and simmering blood, coupled with body odor. It wasn't anything that you would smell on a clean bed of flowers.

Sera examined himself. When he inhaled, he didn't smell like he was just soaking in a blood bath. Patting around his small body, Sera possessed zero scars except the tiny hole on the back of his neck and scratches from tumbling down more than a few dozen feet in Bell Tower. All of that and he was completely by himself.

No wonder everyone was staring at him.

"Yo, you hear about what happened outside on the deck?" an Arbok asked. Sera didn't know what pulled him to listen, but he just stopped his forward motion and listen in on the conversation.

"Nah, man. What happened?" a listener responded.

"You won't believe me. But there were these three guys, right?" the wounded Arbok started.

"Yeah, I'm following."

"Well, these three were apparently..." the Arbok looked beyond their huddle to check for any guards. Cautious about his surroundings, his voice shifted to accommodate for a quieter sound, allowing it to make a hard whisper. "Apparently, they were talking about breaking out; and you know how The Warden is, man."

"Lemme guess, The Warden took em' out," the other assumed to himself. _I wonder how many Pokémon he had to kill for **that** to be a normal reaction,_ thought Sera.

**"BUT THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY, BRO**!" He couldn't help but lift the tone of his voice." Yo, this Sneasel, right..." Again, the Arbok stared again to see if anyone who had been tied to The Warden had been listening on. "This Sneasel spoke up and called The Warden a fat-ass. I'm all like 'Woah, chick! You 'bout to get murdered, real quick'! Then-"

"Waitwaitwait- give me a sec," the listener interrupted. Now, the Arbok was taking a notice to a suspecting Sera, who had been rudely sticking his nose in business that wasn't his. The Quilava did not take hint on this. "Do you mind?!"

Sera became alerted immediately and jumped back in minimal shock. He whipped his hand behind his neck and blushed, "You mean me?"

"Who else would we be talking to, the walls?" the Arboks simultaneously laughed at their own pathetic attempt at a joke. However, Sera's diaphragm wasn't budging whatsoever. _These guys are next brand idiots. Bet they'd laugh at anything._

"Why are we laughing again?" Sera intruded. The Arboks closed their mouths and took a hard and gruff tone. Obviously, this was their way of making an attempt to intimidate Sera. This attempt was very successful. Sera swallowed his throat.

Taking advantage of the situation, the two Arboks began to edge closer to the lonely Quilava, forcing him onto a recluse against a wall. "Look buddy, you betta' not mouth a word of this to The Warden, you hear?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to find someone I lost. You wouldn't happen to know where to find that Sneasel, you were just talking about?" Sera asked, slowly sliding from his part of the wall towards the open space of the rest of the prison. The Arboks made time to gander at each other before making that collective "_Ooohhh_!", whenever you realized a misunderstanding on your own faults.

"You wit' her?" the one with the gash asked in a softer tone. This previously injured Arbok moved his pupils in an upwards-diagonal motion, avoiding any "unnecessary" contact with Sera's eyes.

"What?!" Sera fumed, sparking up like a tiny fireplace. _What sort of question's that?!_

The listening Arbok bounced his tail off of his partner's back. "I see you, Marshall! You think she's bad!" Marshall got dangerously close to his friend's ear and raised a pervy and giddy eyelash.

"I ain't saying anything... but if she let me... I'd tap that, no problem," Marshall gushed. _Is everyone here pervs?!_

"Okay, change of subject! No, I am not with her!" Sera confirmed. His palm collided with his face, smearing everything except his lips and mouth. "Can you please just tell me where you found her last? That's all I'm asking."

"Well... the last time I saw her was on the deck," Marshall said, humming a faint tune in his head.

"And that is?" Sera asked.

"If you keep going straight, then ya' should find a HUGE set of doors! Can't miss it!" Marshall directed, grinning.

"Thanks, I'll be seeing you!" _Hopefully, I never have to see you weirdos ever again_. Sera didn't say any more words; he continued on the straight path to find the large set of double doors which would lead him to the main deck. Sera hoped with each step that he'd be by Izol's side anymore. A part of him did miss her...

Another part of him didn't want to be that loser who didn't have anyone to talk to.

* * *

**Clinic, Junkyard**

The clinic was silent. No one wanted to make anything but grunts and yawns. The Granbull lies there on Sera's old mattress, receiving treatment to the saddened Kain. Kite was doing the same- keeping to his own thoughts. He didn't want to ask for the millionth time about his wings; Kite just wanted to know what on earth could've happened to Kaive.

Kain finished wrapping his neck with bandages. Underneath the white bandages was a spongelike cotton, helping to secure the cut on the Granbull's neck. "Now Zeff, I'm about finished with your neck. I administered the cut with stitches and Heal Pulses. How does it feel?"

Zeff smoothed out the cut on his neck, tensing up as he motioned over the bruise, "It still stings, but it ain't gonna kill me! Thanks, Doc!"

Kain hinted at a small blush when the Granbull called her "Doc". A roll of white wraps was placed near more surgery tools by the hands of Kain. The Audino smiled, "You're welcome! You can do whatever, but don't strain yourself or that neck!"

Zeff gladly leaped off his bed and walked towards the exit. He grabbed ahold of the doorknob and yanked it back, feeling relieved to be free from the pain that he once endured. This sort of happiness brightened Kain's mood, even for a short timespan. Zeff made his leave and slammed the door, which was only prompted by Kain's sigh.

"Well... there goes that. He seems really happy," Kite said, holding his arms at the back of his head. "Right, Kain?"

Kain did not answer. She just simply ignored Kite and went on like normal. First, she would organize her tools. She would place all the knives and sharp edges at one corner, then place all means of medicines and bandages on another.

"Kite," Kain called. The Flygon immediately became excited. _She's finally willing to talk to me, again?!_ Kain walked over in his direction. There was no emotion or concern left on her voice, "I need to check your chest."

"Oh... yeah, go ahead." Kite stood extremely still, allowing Kain as much free rein on his body. She slid her hand down Kite's chest, occasionally stopping to ask to obligatory "How badly does this hurt?" As far as her hand moved down, Kite did not feel like he was being thrown into an open fire. For once, he was feeling very normal.

Kain ended her daily test, "If your chest is feeling better, than all, there's left to do is repair your wings. For now, get some more rest." Kain turned around, intending to finally be done with her Flygon patient. Just as she put Kite as an afterthought, a heavy hand clenched around her arm. Her anger-mixed-sadness met with Kite's own eyes.

They were pleading to help her. Kite wanted to know what was wrong, yet Kain wouldn't tell him. "Please, don't hate me. I'm sorry if you felt I was overstepping my bounds by persistently asking how your sister died. I just didn't-"

"I don't hate you, Kite." Hearing those words put the Flygon at ease. Kite let go of Kain's arm and she gently wrapped her hand around her left deltoid. "It's just that I hate myself for-"

***_BOOM_*** The entrance door forced open. There wasn't any knock or forewarning of his arrival, yet The Warden was there and apparent. No Brick nor Stone accompanied him. It was the Pangoro and only the Pangoro. He made his presence known with a couple cracks of his knuckles and an unpleasant wave. Not even Kite was buying into his "hospitality".

"Hey, guys! Thought I'd just stop by to check on my favorite nurse and my favorite patient. How you doing, Kite?"_ No, not this guy, again_! The Warden asked, masking his unsettling bloodlust with friendly conversation.

"I'm doing fine, thank you," Kite quietly responded. The Warden nodded his head as if he was interested, but in reality, he really wasn't. His fearsome gaze turned to Kain, who was just about as nervous as the Flygon she was helping get back on their feet.

"And how are you, Kain? Is he able to fly, yet?" The Warden checked upon. Kain nodded against Kite's ability to fly again. The nasty Pangoro smiled his dirty teeth. "Good. Good."

"Why are you here, anyways?" Something doesn't feel right with this. Kite had a suspicious feeling in his gut. A feeling that didn't go away easily. The same feeling he had before he flew to Ecruteak City. The same feeling when they entered Bell Tower.

"Now, that you say it... I came here to take you out of Kain's care and into mine!" The Warden dropped the command like a bomb, leaving the Audino in a current state of flux and confusion. _What sort of "care" is this big goof talking about? There's no way I'd let that creep help me!_ "Kain... please hand over that Flygon!"

Her stare narrowed and her head held down. The Warden huffed at Kain's position, "I'll take that as a wholehearted..." His grasp reached over in Kite's general direction, aiming for his face, hoping to make this as easy as a transition as possible. Kite made the futile attempt to back away from The Warden, scooting back his head and laying even more flat on his pillow.

Kain, on the other hand, had other plans. "_No._"

The Warden stopped. "What was that, Kain? I swear I didn't hear that correctly."

Kain swatted the Pangoro's hand out of Kite's face, giving a stare of subtle wrath. Her dark eyes were colder than that of The Warden's drive to murder, shown by his finger's constant twitching, "You heard me, you perverted asshole. _No._"

The Warden's eyes widened and he began to grit his teeth. His black hand came dangerously close to the Nurse, begging to end the little shit as quickly as possible for him. "Say that again and see what happens."

The Audino shoved The Warden's hands away from her, returning by placing her own two hands on top of The Warden's chest. To Kite's surprise, Kain stressed her muscles just enough to push back the Pangoro away from her, crashing the entrance door with his furry back.

**"I SAID NO**!" Kain shouted, feeling a surge of discontent. Kite nearly choked on his own spit. I have never seen Kain like this. The Warden, being humiliated by such a small Pokémon, sniffed and huffed, much like a small child would do when you take away their privileges. He eased himself from the entrance. Kain continued, now with tears streaming down the side of her red cheeks.

"I am never... **EVER** going to give my patients to a psychopathic asshole like you! I am tired..." Kain took a deep breath and stared at Kite. "... I am tired of giving away the people I loved to you. I regret Kaive... But I am **NOT** giving..."

It could either be she was going crazy, but Kain could hear those words that she remembered so long ago. Her pulsating beat of her heart, the kindness of her words- it all had a rhythm and a harmonious beat. She heard and felt Kaive's warmth and gentle touch in the patient she had been taking care of.

Kain panted and stared back at The Warden, " He acts so much like my sister. Therefore, I am not giving Kite away to you."

The Warden stood up and growled, wiping away a wet substance from his lips, shooting it down at the hard floors. Kain must've been going insane. She had to be out of her mind, thought Kite. The Warden gave Kain the evil eye, his pitch-black evil eye, hoping to make her shake in her own skin. But Kain was a rock, no longer intimidated. "You petty little bitch... I hope you were planning on dying today!"

The Audino spread her arms outward by Kite's body, doing whatever she could to protect him. She began to laugh faintly and almost in a maniacal tone, "Then kill me…. I know you won't. You don't have anymore Doctors that I can think of. So go ahead… be my guest." Upon this disposition did The Warden realize that he didn't have this Audino under his influence. Even with the false bravado, her eyes were frightened shut. Kite would've been supporting Kain, but could barely open his mouth when he saw The Warden's next words…

Or it should be said that The Warden decided on his next actions. The salty Pangoro tucked his fist and hurled it back. "You should've kept your mouth closed, bitch!" And at that moment in time, everything slowed down at Kite's perspective. In that instance, Kite's thought process sped up exponentially, leaving behind real reality like a distant dream.

Kain had her arms widened over Kite's body, willing to take fatal wounds at the expense of his patient.

The Warden's arm came swinging, mouth and jaw opened further like he was yelling a battle cry.

Kite's eyes dilated and he rapidly took in the scene around himself. _Kain's an Audino, so she's a Normal-element. The Warden's a Pangoro, meaning he's a Fighting-element_. Kite's prior knowledge lined up like jigsaw pieces, lighting a bulb in his brain. The Flygon witnessed The Warden's balled hand becoming glazed in a reddish-brown aura, giving off a distinct field of power and destruction.

_I-I I have to do something!_ Kite thought it over._ A strike like that can kill Kain! She's been nice to me up until this point, too. _Strain shocked Kite throughout his entire body, surging a sudden nervousness through him as he finally sat up, peeved at the Pangoro's outright disregard for Kain's life.

It was at times like these that showed someone's will and drive. At that moment, when time seemingly stood still, Kite was the one who had launched off his bed. Kite didn't think twice about it. Could it be said that his body moving on his own? Nothing more appealed more important than the action Kite just took. He had a burning fury in his eyes that he was not going to let waste. The Flygon lunged at The Warden… "Don't you _dare_…."

**"LAY A FINGER ON HER**!" And with one fell swoop, Kite punched him straight in his jaw. The bouncing shockwave slowly waved along the cheek in which he was punched, rippling like the wild ocean. Spit came out of his jaw like a faucet, spraying over the floors. The Warden jumped back, dazed and confused, tugging his fat body like a drunk. Something told Kite to move. Something told him to put his life on the line. Not only was The Warden tumbling like an unstable tower…

_Kite hovered in midair_. Something told Kite to move. Something told him to strike. _Something_…

Time drifted back to normal.

The Warden distorted and odd falling speed turned harshly into a large, panda-sized crash onto the door, causing him to tumble down like a helpless child. Kite stood above The Warden with awe, not at The Warden's position, but at his ability to react so quickly. He crunched his talons together, feeling rejuvenated after such a long and lazy rest. Kain slowly opened her eyes, pulling down her "protective" guard. She noticed the small beat of a Flygon's wings. Kain couldn't help but smile.

"I-I'm f-f-flying again?" Kite excitedly stuttered. He felt around his back, checking once more to truly see if the one thing he longed for returned to him. The sandy texture of his triangular wings smoothed the palm of his hands. When he confirmed his suspicions, he was nearly brought to tears. Kite could only manage to hold it back so that his eyes glimmered. The Flygon immediately turned to Kain, who was holding a thumbs up paired with a flamboyant smile.

"Looks like the paralysis poison is wearing off," Kain revealed. He gave a curious stare, before beginning to think. _Paralysis poison? Kain slipped a poison that stopped my wings. Was she doing this to protect me?_

"I don't understand…" Kite said, feeling about his energized wings.

"Don't have to." Kain stepped over to her surgery tabletop and nabbed a tiny little needle with a strikingly strong blue. "A friend of mine gave it to me! She's reason why you're alive, still!" Kain lightly pricked the tip of the needle with her finger, "Her name is Saki."

_Saki….. the same one from the Bell Tower?_ Kite's eyes gradually enlarged and his gaping mouth became even wider. _How could I not see it, before?! That's what happened…_

* * *

**The Day Before...**

_"What is this thing?" Sera said, as he twirled the needle in a fixated position. "It knocked me out, that's for sure."_

_Kite tried to add his reasoning to Sera's question, "Maybe it knocked you out because it was jammed in the back of your neck. I don't think you should be too worried about it."_

_Sera examined the needle more, focusing on the tip of the needle, where a smudge of an odd, blue substance was. "I would say that, if weren't for this goop. It's really bothering me, since it did the job so easily! I'm going to find out what this is."_

* * *

"That was the same poison that knocked Sera out wasn't it?" Kite softly asked.

Kain nodded her head, confirming everything Kite had just wondered. "Yep. That poison was something that Saki let me borrow." Kain peered at the tool table, more directly at the needles with the blue splat at its tips. "Saki calls them her _Strikers_."

"Strikers? She uses needles as a weapon?!" Kite uttered, surprised at the fact. Even I have to admit, that it's a bit out there. A simple question, but one that admittedly to Kite, held some sense in it.

"I don't think she actually manufactures them, but she uses them, nonetheless," Kain explained. The Audino nabbed a needle from the table and turned around, making pretend pokes at the Flygon. She lightly tapped the blue ink, "This ink sedates the elemental prowess of a Pokémon… in the hands of solider, that is. I can extract the poison and use to induce paralysis on certain aspects of a patient's body."

"But why?" Kite murmured.

Kain responded, puzzled by Kite's doubt, "What do you mean?"

"You lied to me and said I couldn't fly. My question is… why?" Kite asked once more.

"Do you remember what I told you when you first woke up?" Kain pleaded Kite to remember, staying silent afterwards to help him focus. Kite tried desperately to recall that time. _First, there was that light. That piercing white light. Then, there was me, not being able to use my wings. I guess she had already administered the poison, by then. Next, she introduced herself and…_

* * *

**The Day Before..**

_"Hey, Kite. Welcome to the Junkyard! I'm Nurse Kain. Glad you could make it. We are usually forced to kill Pokémon that can fly, but I was given special orders, not to!"_

* * *

Those exchange of words were like an Ice Beam, pelting Kite on the head. The thought immediately bounced back to his mouth and his conclusion mouthed the rest, "I couldn't fly. But, Pokémon that can fly are usually killed. But, I couldn't fly, so there was no reason to kill me."

"…. Now that you can fly, however…" Kite and Kain snapped back in reality and stared scared at the Pangoro. Unfortunately, time was not the kindest to Kite. He saw The Warden upon him, yet there wasn't a thing he could do about it.

"KITE, WATCH OUT!" Kain warned.

He saw his bloodied jaw and his pulsating, black fist. **"YOU CAN DIE!"**

Kite's left cheek pounded away at the rest of his sandy-colored face. He felt that everything was weathering away like a sea of burning leaves. Just like a few days ago, he was losing consciousness. Was this all Kite was going to be? A punching bag that would fail at protecting those he loved? Blade. Now, The Warden. He may not have another chance, again. Was Kite going to cheat death again or will this finally be his time?

All of these questions rushed through his mind, as he was forced back by The Warden's Sky Uppercut. A small wave of wind gushed Kite across the room, crashing at the helpless flat of the steel walls. Kite wanted to throw up his lunch, instead he threw up a spat of his own thick blood. A small stream of blood ran slowly down Kite's mouth.

He was losing consciousness, so he could barely make out the horrified Kain yelling his name. "_KITE_!" Kain cried. _"PLEASE STAY AWAKE_!" Kain was pleading. _"YOU CAN'T DIE!"_ Kain commanded. All of this and Kite could only snicker softly. The last question made itself known to the nearly passed out Flygon.

_If he couldn't protect the person that nursed him- the person that loved him, how could he expect to protect Sera and Izol?_

Maybe Blade was asking too much from him.

* * *

**Main Deck**

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW**_, if I were a flamboyant Sneasel, who just had a rainbow throw up on their body, where would I go to avoid me?" This was beginning to annoy the everliving crap out of Sera. Those two Arboks swore that this was where they last saw Izol. Not a single Sneasel was in sight. More likely than not, Izol moved location. Less likely than that, Izol was murdered in the time that elapsed from when she was see last and now. The least likely of those choices, Izol was never here to begin with and the Arbok lied to his face. Sera wanted to believe the last of those choices.

_How hard could it be to find Izol?! It wasn't like she blends in with the crowd. Those stupid-ass Arboks lied to my face! Swear, when I see them again, I'll smear their courses like hot ash._

The only thing Sera took in was the fact that he was outside. Being outside was certainly underrated in Sera's case. After being sheltered for a day and a half, having some fresh air made it worth the wait. Sera, currently, was walking throughout the Main Deck and the rusted floors. Of course, Sera returned to the light from the other side of the Junkyard, where The Warden would usually make his grand entrances.

This was also the reason concerning where The Clinic was located, but that did not concern Sera in the slightest. If anything added up, it was the fact that everyone and their mothers were talking up The Warden's last trip.

"Did you hear about that Sneasel? She totally called em' out and she ain't get killed!"

"You think she and The Warden has a thing with each other?"

"If I was that Butterfree, that Girafarig, or that Numel, I'd be by their sides every single step. They got **WAY** too lucky."

"Man, you think that The Warden would wreck that Sneasel, considering the elemental advantage and all…"

Maybe this was a different Sneasel everyone was talking about. Perhaps this was all in his imagination that the Arboks knew how Izol looked. The only things that would tell him, otherwise, lay beneath the other set of double doors. He approached the arched set of double doors at a rapid rate. Sera would have entered that side of The Junkyard, but something was obstructing his path.

A large boulder to be more precise. This was a Golem guarding the entrance of that side of The Junkyard, his arms were angrily crossed, so that had to mean that he wasn't allowing none to get pass him. Sera smacked himself on the head. _Great, there's a fatty blocking the way. And he's a Rock-element._

"Hey!" Sera greeted with a phony holler. The Golem snickered, already assuming what this tiny, insignificant Quilava wanted to pass.

"Answer's no!" He immediately rejected. The Quilava sighed to himself. _Well, that was fast._

"Look, buddy. I don't care what you think. I'm going in! Last chance, move aside or I'll burn you to a delicate crisp," Sera asserted.

"Check your element," Stone said, remaining unbudged.

Sera rolled his eyes and snorted, "Already did. I don't really care, to be honest with you."

The Golem's eyes twitched, "Do you know who the hell I am?! My name is Stone and I'm the head gu-" Stone's banter was rudely interrupted with laughter. Sera was nearing the verge of tears, when he heard who he was called by. "Hey, what's so-" Sera's gut only pulsed faster, echoing louder. Stone's once twitching face turned an embarrassed, rose red.

"That is **NOT** your real name," Sera wiped the water droplet from under his eye and flicked it, elsewhere. Stone was unmoving and unamused, leaving Sera to get wide-eyed. _No way. He's being totally serious_. Then, Sera laughed again. "THAT **IS** YOUR NAME! OH ARCEUS, THAT IS **_RICH_**!" The Quilava couldn't even hold out a long laughter; the lack of oxygen forced him to start coughing, uncontrollably.

**"**YOU HAVE A BIG MOUTH FOR SOMEONE WHOSE 'BOUT TO DIE!" Stone screamed.

"I'm not the one with the unimaginative name. It's like if I was named '_**Flame**_' or if you named a Grass-element '**_Plant_**' or a Water-element '**_Fish_**'. I am _soooooooooooo_ sorry for you, right now!" Sera walked up to Stone's spot and placed his hand on the door.

"You must be new to talk to me any kind of way!" Stone didn't even stop Sera, he just idly watched as he passed by. "Fine then, ENTER! I will see to it that The Warden gives you an unpleasant stay at The Room!"

"Don't worry, you'll see me again, tomorrow. See ya later, Stone!" Holding his breath and closing his eyes, Sera had been setting himself up to fail. He let out one, last laugh before pushing it open. And then he entered where he hoped Izol stayed at the moment.

* * *

**Boomer's Cell**

"So that's it?" Boomer asked Mirage.

Mirage nodded his head, "If this goes as plan, we'll all be out of here by tomorrow. Izol was there to listen to the plan, as well. The Sneasel grinded her nails across the steel-cell walls. The Zoroark made his presence known to her, "Izol, you get all that?"

Izol grinned, "I heard. We wait until night and then you and I will find the electrical box that electrocutes the water around The Junkyard, destroy it and come back. Boomer will stay here and distract the Sergeant and The Warden in case they arrive early."

Mirage let out some air in relief, "Okay good, you were listening. Didn't want anyone to hear us, if I were to say it again."

"I swear, ya' get on us for talkin' too loud, yet you can't keep a mouth shut for nothin'!" Boomer complained, sulking her lips tight.

"HEY! ANYONE IN HERE?" An unfamiliar voice screeched throughout the interior's hallways. Mirage and Boomer were immediately put on edge. Boomer's claw grew in size and glowed, revealing itself to become even more blue than it already was. Her red bandana tacked against her neck like a raging wind. Mirage whipped out a black sword, holding it in the palm of his hands.

"Shit! A guard heard us! My Night Slash is ready," Mirage whispered.

"See what I mean, mate?! I have to smack that poor fool with a Crabhammer, now!"

"IZOL, ARE YOU IN HERE?!" The voice called out. Boomer and Mirage both angrily aimed their death gazes at Izol, who was even surprised herself.

"I KNEW IT! Izol's a super-top-secret guard sent to weed out the poor saps and exterminate them!"

"Huh… no kidding." Mirage held his blade at the tip of Izol's jugular. "I thought I could trust you and you stabbed us in our backs! What do have to say for yourself?!" Izol placed her pink paw on the Night Slash and gripped around it. She yanked it out his hand and pushed him back. Mirage banged on the westward side of the cell, snorting steam at the Sneasel.

"I didn't do anything! But I think I know that voice…." Izol made a reach-around outside of the cell and stared at the long hallway. Like usual, there wasn't many alive inmates in sight. Not even guards for that matter. All Izol could see was a small ember._ Is that him?! B-b-but he's dead?_ Izol's couldn't put her reaction in any words or hardly any thoughts. She hasn't felt this way since she had first arrived.

Boomer held her Crabhammer back and allowed her launcher to return to normal. "What are ya' talkin' about?!"

Mirage stood back on his feet, rubbing the black and crimson mane that was his head. "That hurt. But who is it, then?"

"IZOL. IF YOU'RE HERE, SAY SOMETHING!" Izol could barely make out her words. Simply put, she just told Mirage and Boomer, "I'll be right back."

The Sneasel made one step out of Boomer's Cell. There wasn't any exchange of words left in her. Izol's next course of action was to run.

Izol ran. She ran and she ran and she ran some more until she felt that her tired old feet would give out on her.

The person she was looking for was gradually coming closer. He got closer and closer and closer.

The ember was getting larger. Larger. Larger. Now the oddly, disfigured Sneasel could see a small weasel, with flame linings across his back. Izol started to run faster. Faster and faster did she run. Her golden eyes found their light and her heart raced at the same beat as herself. "_**SERA**_!"

Sera's eyes started to grow. However, it was out of sheer amazement and fear. Time started to slow. The Quilava did his best to try and run from the maniac going at an alarming rate, but Izol was very persistent to grab him. Izol's paws extended. Izol leaped towards the small, fiery rat. Sera tried to run but unfortunately was nabbed in the stomach. "Goddammmit," Sera uttered as Izol latched on to him like a leech.

Now, they were both flying through the air. And then time sped up to normal through the perspective of the Sneasel. Sera and Izol harshly crashed into the ground, spurring a madness wave of fire and ice. They both rolled on the ground and skidded across the painful floors. Izol didn't care about the pain, she had Sera strapped to her. "**GODAMMIT, IZOL!** Why did you tackle me? That seriously burned!"

"I can't believe you're alive," Izol managed to say. Sera couldn't contain his words, either. The air was too busy being squeezed out of him like one of Professor Fickle's plush dolls.

"I'm alive, I can assure you of it."

"Never _everevereverevereverevereverever_ leave me hanging like that again, you stupid flaming rat! I never thought how alone I'd be without you, so please…" Izol sniffed up and let a couple tears run down her face. "Please don't scare me again. I wouldn't know what I would do without you. It may seem like all I do is make fun of you, but the truth is that I love you."

Sera stopped and stared at her, letting Izol cry her sorrows away. He held tightly to his shaking friend and refused to let her go. Izol was crying tears of joy, ignoring if she would be heard or not. He even let Izol slide for calling him a rat. This would one of the few times Izol would proclaim her love for her best friend, but instead of pushing her off and argue with her, as he probably would've done, he simply said four words.

_**"I love you, too."**_

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**Ello! Hope you enjoyed that chapter. As for the content itself, I was going for the two different sides of things. One side represented the reunion between Sera and Izol, the other side represented the seperation between Kite and Kain. Half and half. If you also noticed, there is NO MORE OC SUBMISSION opportunities. You must have a REALLY REALLY good OC to submit, if you want them in. Other than that, thanks to everyone who DID submit and show your support. Make sure to review and at least follow. Following will give you an e-mail notice of my publications. Favoriting is up to you!**

**I am NO longer writing to a deadline, I am too much of a critic to do so. I also plan on writing something concerning dead stories/fighting unmotivation/preventing it. Make sure to watch out in the future.**

**FUN FACT: There were about five different scenarios of how Kain would be seperated from Kite. Hence, why it took so long to post this chapter.**

**Review Replies:**

**Error 16: Too bad that half of it isn't bad in comparison to what will be revealed in a future chapter. Dark is a running theme with this arc. We have nights and killings and stuff...**

**Antex- The Legendary Zoroark: The suspense is killing me too. I have no idea what will happen next (oh wait...)**

**We're All Okay: I have no idea, sometimes. I just write and the feels comes out, as a result.**

**Ckbrothers: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!**

**666funtimes and MaliciousGravy: You do know how to make me feel better about my writing, but if I want to reveal ANYTHING without spoilers. I haven't told everything there is to know their past. Save for another time :) Thank you two for your awesome and extensive reviews!**


	16. Special Episode: Two Blades

_**A/N**: Ello! Welcome to the first Special Episode of this entire story. This is not to be confused with Post-Extinction, these are actual chapters, just not purposed to explain an entire part of the story. This chapter is 5.3k words long, so it is very average. But I have a feeling that you'll like this chapter. With that all said, **ENJOY :)**_

* * *

_Two Blades_  
_Two Sides_  
_Four Lives_  
_One Lie_

_Swords slash_  
_Morals clash_  
_One Lives_  
_One Dies_

_Two Hunters_  
_One Target_  
_Night Slash_  
_Leaf Blade_

_Two Thieves_  
_Two Soldiers_  
_Servine_  
_Bisharp_

_Two Blades_  
_Two Sides_  
_Four Lives_  
_One Lie_

* * *

**One Day Ago…**

On top of a cliff stationed beside a forest clearing stationed two Pokémon. The soft crushing of leaves and the metallic clanging could have given them away. The sky above had been unchanging, the heavy clouds appeared to have longed to rain. The night shaded those clouds a crimson red. Underneath the heavens above, two Pokémon were searching for someone. A someone that was shrouded in mystery by their leader.

A male Servine to be exact.

One of the two Pokémon, a Persian, turns to her partner, feeling doubtful, "Why do you think she wants to know?" Her partner, a Bisharp, stopped. He took a full rotation, finally ignoring the tree he was standing near. This tree suffered many brutal slashes from the Bisharp's own blade. The Persian awaited his response, staring down into the clearing.

The Bisharp's standard gaze was that off a cold one. When he finally faced his partner, he didn't seem to have any answers, either. "You and I both know that's the last question that'll get answered under our circumstances."

"Pain…" the Persian said. "I would appreciate it if you stopped beating around the bush. This has to do with me too, you know?"

"Always so curious, Mistral," Pain acknowledged, both annoyed and satisfied, an odd combination it was. "But my straight answer is no, I don't have a single clue why Termina wants us to hunt this guy down." The two Pokémon approached a tall tree, which Pain obstructed by cutting it down in one slash. When the tree tumbled on the ground, Mistral nodded her head.

"I think the last thing we want to do is cause a commotion. Last thing we want to do is clear an entire forest, right?" Mistral advised. The air around the Persian grew thick as a Night Slash can crawling towards her neck. It stopped right before the Night Slash reached the nape of her neck. Her heavy breathing stopped and her dilated eyes returned to normal.

Pain let down his Night Slash, "Don't insult my intelligence or next time, it'll be your head. I am perfectly capable of finding a simple Servine." The hatchet was buried and the Persian and Bisharp continued their stroll on top of the cliff.

"I am not insulting your intelligence, we simply need not to draw attention to ourselves," Mistral defended. Pain cut down another helpless tree, to the dismay of Mistral.

"Don't care, whatsoever. Remember who saved you. Remember where you'll be had I not been there," Pain reminded. Mistral frowned. _Here we go, again. I hate it when he gets like this_. She tried to cover her ass and started to speak again.

"I do and I'm thankful, but I am worried for your own safety." Pain began to snicker at that foolish statement. Mistral rolled her red pupils, tiredly. "Was something I said, amusing?"

"I didn't think I would see the day when you are actually concerned for my well being. Don't you have faith in my abilities, anymore?" Pain asked his feline friend. _How dare he laugh at me? What is wrong about my concern, need he take my worry as a joke?_ The quadruped nuzzles her black and dainty nose in response to the heated wind. It's going to rain soon, I can smell it.

"I do have faith in your abilities, but if this Servine is anything like that Infernape, Termina, or even Zendan…."

"Then there's a possibility of my death. I do not have the skills required to fight someone like Keegan. And I have yet to settle things with Zendan. So yes, if our target is on par with them, then I have my work cut out," Pain took notice.

"Just don't get yourself hurt by doing something reckless. That's all I request," Mistral finished. _One of these days, we're gonna tango with the wrong person and we'll both die._ Mistral's expression evolved into that of sadness and discontent. This did not go unnoticed by Pain for long.

"Don't worry yourself," Pain stepped above Mistral's bright fur and began to rub it. A sensation ran through Mistral's spine and she began smiling and patting her legs, purring repeatedly. _That feels absolutely splendid_. Mistral's own bliss drowned out Pain for a second. "Remember that if I thought you wouldn't be useful, then I wouldn't have allowed you to a accompany me so many years back. You are my tool and my partner, it is important that my tool stays tempered."

"_Please_, Pain…. _Keep going_... it feels _sooo_ go-" Mistral couldn't enjoy herself for long before Pain stopped petting her back and returning to crushing the quiet leaves and slashing his way across a multitude of trees upon this cliff side. Mistral frowned. "Why did you stop? It was just starting to get better…"

"I refuse to pet you any longer if you choose to make it sexual. You can ask your future mate to rub your back all you want," Pain rejected. The feline groaned in disappointment. Her lips folded downwards and her eyes went pitch black for a split second. _If I can find a mate, that is. Why must I moan whenever I'm petted?_

Mistral's whiskers began to flare as the heavy smell of the clouds drew closer to raining. "It is going to rain soon, Pain."

"I noticed. I guess that means we have an incentive to hurry and find this Servine, don't we?" Pain chuckled.

"That was_ my_ idea to begin with."

All of a sudden, Pain stopped in place. He faced the forest clearing they were standing above. _That's odd of him. It's not like him to do this. Does that mean…_ Mistral didn't say anything, but rather took her steps towards Pain, more curious than before. Down below did they see a Servine. A Servine wearing a hoodie, gripping a satchel filled with what Mistral assumed was cash.

This Servine was currently accompanied by a smaller, much more vulnerable looking Snivy. They were both walking along the forest clearing without a single care in the world. When Mistral witnessed the image, she turned to her Bisharp partner again.

"You think he's the Servine we're looking for?" Mistral asked. "We weren't given a good description, so this can be any old Servine wearing a hood."

"You took the words right out of my mouth. There's only one way to find out…" Pain led to, revealing his hand with a Night Slash. The Bisharp thought it over for a bit before sheathing his nightly blade. "But it would be a better approach to watch him before striking. Are you content with that?"

Mistral didn't even need to say it to him. She simply smiled. Pain realized her strife and decided to go with her plan of simply staying ambiguous before striking. Whether it was because he had been concerned for her well-being or that he saw truth in her ideals, it made Mistral happy just knowing that her presence proved useful.

"Yes, I am content with it."

* * *

_Two Pokémon, two partners, had been walking over a cliff side in pursuit of a Servine. Pain and Mistral, like two shadows, would soon learn of their target and in turn learn more about the ones they work for. The clouds above shone no light and overshadowed everything in a thick, crimson shadow. The question begged "Why?" Why go through this trouble to find one Servine over others? Why was he or she important? Why was this urgent over so many other missions? These questions would truly be the last thing that they expected to be given answers._

* * *

**Forest Clearing...**

Blade. His recent run-in with Saki and her team still played like a recorder in the back of his head. Now, they were in a forest clearing, simply taking in the night. However, Blade needed to find shelter soon if he were to avoid the rainfall. That much, he did know. At least Leaf was beside him to ease his spirits. If it weren't for Leaf, Blade didn't know if whether or not he'd be mentally grounded.

But was the safe bet of betraying those Pokémon worth it to secure his life with Leaf for a while more? That was the daunting thought in his mind. Even if he had the support of Kite, would karma come back with an Ice Punch or Flamethrower? Probably.

"Hey, Blade!" Leaf called. Blade shook himself out of the trance he put himself in and stared at his younger brother.

"Yeah, wassup?" Blade returned.

"Are you okay?" Leaf concerned himself with. _What?! Was I being that obvious or something?_ Blade scratched the back of his grass-covered neck, smiling.

"Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?" he lied. Leaf frowned, knowing that his older just lied to him without any given problems. He crossed his arms, sticking out his upper lips.

"You're lying. You aren't okay, are you?" Leaf pouted.

"No, I'm not lying. Just kinda nervous because you-know-who is going to have my neck if I screw up, again." Blade firmly grabbed the top of his brown satchel and shook it about. All he could hear was the sound of success… if success sounded like a bunch of rocks clashing into one another, repeatedly. The Servine tried to make the most convincing grin he could possibly make, but Leaf was still sulking. "I'm just nervous, that's all. Horatio's a scary dude if you make him mad."

"I don't think it has anything to do with Horatio, Blade. You've been pretty spacey since you left Bell Tower. What happened in there?" the little brother stopped walking and waited for his older brother to answer.

"Nothing happened in there," Blade said. _Nothing would the last word to describe what happened in there._ "Why do you even care Leaf?"

"Because you said that we'd be living the easy life once you came out. Either you lied, or something happened in there. Which is it?"

Blade was astonished. For someone as young as himself, Leaf read the situation perfectly. He knew what Blade promised and he knew that their situation didn't get any better since. They were supposed to be living out in a nice town with their friends, instead they were doing what they always did: Steal. _There wasn't any more faking, now_. Blade sighed.

"We got caught," Blade vaguely states.

"I know you got caught, but what happened after that?" Leaf hurried._ I made an enemy of Izol and Sera. And I wouldn't be surprised if Kite wants to kill me, if they were to found me again,_ Blade thought. Leaf snapped his fingers in between Blade's eyes and pulled him back to reality. The Servine stared above. The clouds evolved to look like a massacre in the sky, bleeding blood all over the clouds. The smell started to reek stronger.

"We should go find some shelter. It's definitely gonna rain soon," Blade suggested.

Leaf shrugged his shoulders, "Alright! But I call the Oran Berries when we start eating!" Even if Leaf did have the capacity to read the room well, he didn't stop him from having a very short attention span. That's one of the many reasons why Blade cares for him. His innocent mind didn't need to be burdened by his mistakes.

They started walking again. The night's darkness made it quite difficult to see. Both assumed that they were in a forest clearing, since there were no longer trees blocking his path. Hey, there was even more red light shining through. Another warning that they need a place to stay.

"Hey Blade! When does this forest end?" Leaf complained. He latched on to his rollercoaster of a grumbling stomach. **"I'M HUNGRY**!"

"Err… I have no idea. Which sector are we in, again?" Blade wondered.

"_Sinnoh_," A voice from behind called.

Blade quickly turned around with a smile and gratitude. "Gee, thanks." There was no one behind Blade. The perplexed Servine scratched his head in wonder and stared all around him. "Hello?" _Nothing from behind. Nothing from the sides. That could only mean…_

The only other way was above, so Blade stared around to where the cliff face was. And sure enough, a large hunk of metal came slamming down onto the clearing. Blade took one flip backwards before he was caught in the blast.

*_**BOOM**_* Like a bomb going off, the mysterious Pokémon's wait created a miniature crater around him. Without second thought, Blade revealed his hand with a sharp edge of Leaf Blade. He lifted it up above his shoulder, keeping its tip directly aimed at his opponent. The hunk of metal, a Bisharp, slowly stood upright, showing a cold expression.

Blade sighed. "Talk about a surprise attack.… he almost killed me," he mumbled. "_Leaf_!" Blade's little brother came to his side, without any exchange of words, Leaf grabbed the rock bag. "Go find some shelter before it rains, I'll catch up."

Leaf nodded and ran away from the clearing. All there was left was Blade and this mysterious Bisharp.

"At least you know how to dodge away from sound. Had I merely been silent, I would've killed you," he states.

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because that'd be no fun. You see, I've been hearing rumors that a certain Servine has been causing the **The Council** and the** Phantasma Syndicate** a lot of trouble." _I'm getting a bad vibe from this guy. I should see who he is before I think about fighting him_. Blade let down his blade to his side.

"Yeah, and what's it to ya'?" Blade taunted, clenching to his Leaf Blade.

The Bisharp's metallic hand cringed has it balled up to a fist. He had a small smile plastered on his face, "You could say that I wanted to see this rumor for myself. Of course, that is IF you're the same Servine. So if you don't mind, please take off that hoodie. I would hate for me to kill someone over a misunderstanding."

He had the answers he needed. Blade stared down at his chest, placing his right hand over this midsection. _So that's what he's looking for. No, I'm not going to get them what they want._

Blade's silence warranted the Bisharp to speak for him. "If you are uncomfortable taking it off, then I'll do it for you." _Two steps._ The Bisharp took two steps. Four steps. _Now, he's taking five._ Closer and closer, the Bisharp was inching. Blade was using sound to calculate. _Six….. Seven…._

The Bisharp reached out his hand when his foot came to the ground on his seventh step. His left leg lifted up and slowly did it come down. Slowly did his hand came over to Blade's hoodie. And as soon as the Bisharp as much as touched the dirt with his leg. _**EIGHT**_!

Blade swung his Leaf Blade upwards, forcing the Bisharp to take precautions by ducking his head and taking one leap backwards. "Who the hell do you think are? You got the wrong guy, now leave!"

Bisharp's eyes became a sharp red glow. "Where are my manners? You can call me _Pain_, and yes, I am a member of the Phantasma Syndicate. I will commend you for your swordwork and fast reflexes, however-" A dark energy formed around his hand, manifesting a blade as dark as night. "You're battling style is predicable, watch."

Pain started to charge headlong onto the battle. Blade stands there, ready to make his next strike. He starts by staring down at his dark metallic feet. Each step rampaging in rhythm to his thoughts. _One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven_. Again, Blade concentration solely focused on the eighth and final step. Pain was upon him. Then, he made touchdown on his last step. _**EIGHT**_!

Blade slashed his Leaf Blade, hoping to make the killing blow. But he essentially slashed at nothing but thin air. _Where'd he go?_!

Suddenly, Blade had a Night Slash brushing behind his neck. Pain had his backside working for him. _That speed. It's just like that Taillow's. Can't let it get to me, though._ Pain leaned in closer to his ear. "I noticed that you see how every movement has a rhythm and beat to it. In a battle, that could mean the difference between and death. But that's useless information to have against an opponent like me. Wish to see why?"

Pain pulled back, giving just enough time for Blade to evade the slice, by ducking. He took a small jump back, but the Bisharp was still hot on his heels. He dragged his feet across the dirt and cocked back his fist. "My 'tactical berserk' style of battle is incompatible with your 'wait and hit' style!"

One hard punch across the face later, Blade was sent hurdling across the clearing into the thick forestry, crashing against a tree. He could barely get up. _This guy is on another league. I have to get out of here and fast!_ Pain slowly walked towards him. All Blade could see was a mere shadow of a man who was prepared to end his life.

"Do you see now? You are hopeless against me. I wouldn't give you a chance to live, but I want to see you at your best." Another dark aura shown around his hand. Now it was in the shape of a ball. "Not only do I have short range, but I possess long range as well!"

A Dark Pulse shot towards Blade like a speeding bullet. It was in his best interest to move, so he did. Blade parried to the right of the tree, sacrificing its life for the sake of his. He wiped a small smear of blood from his lower lip and composed himself. _Alright, Blade. You have to get serious, there's no running from this guy. Even if I try, he'll catch me_.

The Servine concentrated, he thought hard about his next course of action. The trees stood above like behemoths. The dead leaves around him crunched like soft bones. Even the rain was beginning to drop down on his shoulders. He opened his blue eyes and nabbed short breaths. _Okay, so I'll do that then._

"Okay, Pain. Maybe I am the guy you're looking for. Why do you want to know?" Blade asked again.

Pain stopped. "_Why_ is the last question that will get answer under our circumstances. Right now, '_Why_?' doesn't matter. You should be more focused on how you're going to best me."

"So it's like that, huh?" The leaves on the ground began to lift from the ground and swirl around like a tornado. With a slice of his Leaf Blade, the Leaf Tornado came rushing towards the Bisharp. Pain got out his Night Slash and began slashing away at the leaves targeting him.

Rainfall began to happen over the forest. When he heard the pitter-pattering smack against the flora, Blade smirked. He got in his usual stance. _All right! Here goes nothing._

Blade started by cutting down a tree, angling it in a way that fell over towards Pain. Noticing his position of nearly being crushed, Pain endured the pinpointed Leaf Tornado to barely make it in time to make the final cut that would bring it down. _That was a close one_, Pain thought. _However, Blade miraculously appeared right beside Pain, ready to strike. No matter, this won't be different_.

_*SLASH*_ A quick strike was easily blocked by Pain. The rain poured down even more. "Did you really that'd work?"

Blade closed his eyes and opened his ears. "This will work." Blade pulled back his sword and aimed.

One rain drop fell on top the leaves, bouncing out like a fish.

"_One_!" Blade made one slash. Pain still blocked it, no problem. This time, it was much faster than before. He cocked back. And then another rain tear crashed on the flooring and Blade listened. "_Two_!" Blade connected his second strike. Again, Pain easily defended against it. But it was even faster than before.

"_Three_!" Each time Blade hit, the faster he was getting. Pain started to get sluggish.

"_Four_!" Blade was starting to get the edge in this battle, forcing pain to back up and continue to block.

_"Five! **Six**!"_ _Two consecutive slashes? This kid's faster than I thought. Need to change my approach._

"_Seven_!" _Alright, on his eighth, I'll have my chance_. Blade yanked back his Leaf Blade and listened out on last time. Everything felt solemn and calm. The metal clanging against pure photosynthetic energy. The wind blowing through the living leaves of the trees. He _waited_. All he needed was his cool and his focus.

*_**DROP**_*

"_**Eight**_!" Blade sliced with everything he had to offer. **_NOW_**! Pain lifted up his metal arm again, prepared to block the incoming Leaf Blade. The two swords clashed. Blade let on a cocky and boastful grin. Gotcha! And just like glass…

Pain's Night Slash _shattered_.

"What the?!" Pain fell back, watching shards of his dark aura fall to the ground like precious jewels. It worked! To both his surprise, Blade had broke his Night Slash. All because he remembered what happened at Bell Tower...

* * *

**Bell Tower 1F…**

"Sorry about this, but I need to help him," Putting in her effort, Skylar sliced her Aerial Ace once, with a mighty chop. Her eyes were full of a burning, but scared passion.

And like that, Skylar cut the Leaf Blade, in _half_. The tip of the blade hurdled over the air and struck itself on the center column of the tower. Blade stared at his destroyed Leaf Blade, completely floored by this power. He saw the consequences of underestimating his opponent and he was going to pay.

"How do you _cut_ through an energy-based sword?! How does that even happen?!" Blade complained, astonished.

* * *

_Heavy and persistent force applied with great speed is even enough to shatter my Leaf Blade. Since both of our attacks are made from hardening our life forces, Pain's Night Slash shouldn't be any different. And now…_

"**IT'S OVER!"** Blade retracted his Leaf Blade and jumped at Pain. Afterwards, he pressed his hands around the Bisharp's metal hands.

"You intend to end my life with simple tactics?" Pain hissed. Blade nodded his head "No" and latched on to his metal arms.

"This is how I'm gonna end your life," Blade said. The leaves around his hands turned into vine-like extensions. The Vine Whip tied itself a knot from Blade and Pain's arms, only to extend and tie those two ends into two nearby trees. The Vine Whip kept itself a tight hold on both bodies, hanging them up like a web. "These Vine Whips are going to keep us here for a long time. In the meantime, I'm going to sit here and suck away at all of your energy. It may take a while, but Mega Drain will leave you completely unconscious."

Blade's hands glowed a eery, chloroplast green. "Mega Drain? Not a bad setup at all," Pain complimented. "But you need check you element…"

_What?_ Before he could react, Pain cocked back his head and smashed it against Blade's forehead, the metal blunt sticking from his head cutting a large portion of his skull.

"**_AHHH_**!" Blade agonized over his pain. The Servine released him from his Vine Whip trap, pulling back, holding his bleeding forehead. When he landed on the ground, Pain made sure to punish Blade even more.

"Last time I checked, you're a _Grass_-element and I'm a _Steel_-element! My hard exterior makes me resilient to most energy based attacks. You can't touch me!" Pain lunged his fist across the tired Servine's cheek. He sent him flying across the forest, back into the clearing. The Servine felt everything this time. Now, he really couldn't move.

"I will commend you on finding a tactic that would, in theory, defeat me. Only problem is that now I know how you fight. You use the sounds of the environment and utilize those as guides for your next attacks. Impressive, but now that I know, I'll make sure to fight offbeat to your own attacks."

"I can… still fight…" Blade barely let out. Pain trekked over to his pathetic state and laughed. He forced his leg into Blade's stomach. The Servine let out a howl of pain.

"Is that all?" Pain continued to kick him. Repeatedly, Pain's kicks became harder and deadlier than the last. Each kick becoming progressively louder for Blade. "Maybe you aren't the Servine I was looking for. My opponent wouldn't have been such easy prey. I thought I was getting my Coin's worth by tracking you down, but all you managed to do was waste my time."

Blade used what was left of his life force to create another Leaf Blade, but Pain didn't have any of it. Pain took the Servine by his left arm and lifted him up in midair. He smacked his lips, "Shame-shame. If you had only listened and took off that hoodie, you wouldn't have been in this mess. Now, I'm going to kill you for wasting my goddamn time…"

The Bisharp created and lifted his foul Night Slash, holding it against his jugular. Bloody and beaten, there wasn't a single thing Blade could do. He started to think. Maybe this was karma's way of kicking him in the ass. What he did to those three Pokémon was unspeakable and brutal. This was nature's way of destroying him; to remove him from the picture. There was no one around to save him. _Sorry, Leaf… I couldn't save you. I couldn't save mom. I couldn't save Izol, Sera, or Kite. Hell, I couldn't even save myself._

He closed his eyes and waited for karma to take him away.

"_**SMOKE BALL!"**_ A pitched feminine voice cried. Pain and Blade seemed perplexed until the smoke ball came hurdling towards Pain's eyes. The purple ball of smoke combusted and Pain's sight was obstructed. The Bisharp started to cough. _Now's my chance._

On his right arm, a blinding light formed into a tiny dagger. He yanked and braced himself. _This is gonna sting!_ Scared, Blade sliced through the uppermost part of his shoulder, severing his entire left arm. He fell backwards, falling from Pain's hold.

"I gotcha!" Arms wrap around him. Blade could feel the embrace of a soft pillow. He felt eased. The Servine turned his head and there he saw it…

A Whimsicott with bright pink pupils and a green face. Her hair was majestic and overflowing. She smiled when Blade stared at her. "All aboard the **_Curly Express._ **Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times! Hey, Pain! _Moonballistics_!"

Pain stared up. But all he was looking at was a Moonblast coming directly at his face. The fairy blast pushed him back some, but it something that he could easily block. The purple smoke cleared and Pain readied his Night Slash…

But not a single soul was there. Pain gritted his teeth in anger.

"He got away," Mistral said, coming back to his side. "Should we pursue him?"

"As much as I do want to, we don't need to anymore." Pain stared down at Blade's severed left arm. "We have everything we need, right here." Pain bent over and picked up his arm. All there was left was the clothing enveloping it. Pain yanked the sleeve of the hoodie off the arm and examined his bare arm. He saw it in all of its glory.

"The fact that he cut off his dominant hand to get away adds a lot to his own stupidity. He probably wasn't the guy we're looking for," Mistral concluded.

Pain grinned, "Oh, but it is. Tell me, Mistral, what color are Servine's usually?"

"Green," Mistral answered.

"And what color are shiny Servine's?"

"Blue."

Pain revealed his hand by flashing Blade's severed arm to the likes of Mistral. And she had seen it as well as Pain did. The arm had both blue and green leaves. Streaks of both the normal variant of Servines and highlights of the blue, shiny equivalent.

Mistral could barely make out her words, "A Servine that is _**neither normal nor shiny. To possess traits of both**_."

Pain smiled, "We found our guy."

A buzz invaded Mistral's eardrums. A voice came from inside her head. Telepathy, as they call it. "Hey, Mistral! Are you guys done yet?"

"Yeah, Eve. We're just finishing. We'll report soon. We have this arm that we don't know what to do with, any suggestions?"

Eve hummed for a moment, "Just take it to Nikola and Alex, they'll know what to do with it! See you guys back at base! You won't believe what those two Ditto knuckleheads have been up to since you left!"

"I believe that much. Roger, out!" Mistral finished.

_"SEE YA!_" Eve cut the telepathy line between herself and Mistral, losing communication completely.

* * *

**30 Minutes Later…. In a Cave**

"I can't thank you enough for saving my life, Curly," Blade thanked. "But where are you going to do tomorrow morning?"

Curly poked at her chin, "I have to go back to Liberty Base! Myst must be so worried about me!" _For someone who's that quick on her feet, she's very ditsy._ "Oh yeah, how could I be so selfish? Henricks and Acran must be worried sick, too!"

She kept talking on and on, so Blade turned to his little brother. "Thanks for telling her that I was in trouble. I would be dead if it weren't for her."

"I know. But I think I get it," Leaf said.

"Get what?"

"Why you were so spacey," Leaf responded. "Something happened at the tower and you made an enemy of that Sneasel. But she's just like you, isn't she? Except, the you know… being able to regenerate entire limbs thing."

Again, Leaf was able to comprehend and see Blade's feelings almost perfectly. He snickered, wiggling the stub of his arm, "Yeah... my Regenerator factor takes a while to replace a whole limb. But other than that, yeah… I haven't met anyone like me.. well, ever. The fact that I met someone like me and she hates my guts scares me."

"Because when she finds you, you won't know what she'll bring to the table?"

_"Right, again_."

Curly shrieked at the top of her lungs, "Hey guys, the rain is clearing!" Both Blade and Leaf sat up from their spots in the cave and went outside to see what the fuss was all about. The two Pokémon stepped outside. When they looked above, they saw the night sky filled with beautiful stars which made a white light that replaced the red one. Hope filled the Servine's lungs as he stared long at the crescent moon hanging above like a toenail.

Leaf nudged his shoulder, "You think she's staring at the moon, right now?"

"She's probably asleep. But right now, I'm just happy to be alive."

Maybe it wasn't Blade's time to die, just yet. He still had things he cared about and people he loves. If there was a chance of living, Blade knew that there would be a way out. And maybe.. just maybe… there would be a way to the easy life he promised himself before he entered the Bell Tower. Before any of this started. And when that day of promise comes, he swore to himself that he'd set things right with Izol, wherever she may be.

* * *

**Main Deck, Junkyard**

Izol stood by Mirage's side that day. Her face was aimed at the crescent moon above. She couldn't help but think about the Servine who caused the slaughter of her two friends. He would not live unpunished. The Sneasel had but one thought on her mind.

**_"Blade, wherever you are, whenever I get out, I will personally find you and kill you!"_**

* * *

**_Slash's Footnote:_**

**_So, how was it? I personally enjoyed writing more of Blade. That is what I promised. There are only two chapters left on the first arc and I'm personally excited. These next two chapters will probably contrast with previous chapters that are dialouge-heavy and are now action heavy. The two , Pain and Mistral, both belong to Antex- The Legendary Zoroark. I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. Make sure check out the blog for updates for now on!_**

* * *

_**Review Replies:**_

**The Gentleman Ghost: I don't know. Maybe your drama tingling is getting on to something. But I wouldn't say those three in particular.**

**MaliciousGravy: You pretty much hit the nail on everything I was trying to describe The Warden as. And boy are you going to despise him next chapter.**

**RisingSerperior: Hey, look, it's a chapter about Blade. I didn't forget about the preview :)**

**Aurorawolf668: Thanks. You keep up the good work of being awesome.**

**Error 16: I never said dark was bad, I just said it was a running theme with this particular arc. I'm aware that it's needed.**

**Guest: Oh, no.. the shipping are starting. EVERYONE HIDE!**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: I'm just a sarcastic, that's all.**

**Ckbrothers (Guest): They've been friends for a while, I don't see why not ;)**


	17. Chapter 10: Shadows In The Light

_A/N: Ello! Did you miss me? No. Fine. Just kidding. If you hadn't already known, I posted another SYOC story on fanfiction. It's called Dream Link Online and I won't spoil the details, but I'd like to see that it's a concept worthwhile to submit a character in. A busy tiki is busy. Considering that I couldn't update my blog. With all of that said.… **ENJOY :)**_

* * *

One light. One, piercing, blinding light. A piercing light which notified Mirage that he was still living. All he could do was stare straight up into the light bulb shining its harmful rays over his body. Yet, Mirage remained unaffected. It was like he was dead. He did not move for the moment; Mirage simply took it all in.

His back felt comforted. The black mane along his body imagined itself on a cloud. The same could be said about the back of his head. Mirage then deduced that he is lying down on some sort of mattress._ I guess that's why one mystery down,_ thought Mirage. The Zoroark's eyes refused to cooperate for the moment in which his head decided to wonder about. After all, checking your surroundings was very important.

_Yet, there is nothing but a blinding light and fuzzy vision_.

_But.…,_ thought the laying Zoroark. His mouth wiggled from side to side, attempting to make out the words he wanted to state. Surprisingly, talking proved difficult for him, as if his very lips were glued. Mirage's mouth moved from side to up to down, across, horizontal, vertical, and all around. His next words finally became clear as his vision returned to a normal state of being.

"Where am I?" he managed. "Am I... dead?" The Zoroark took a deep breath, "Am I in heaven?" Now there was a body slowly gravitating towards his face. Their heavenly eyes lit up like the very stars scattered across the night sky. His raspy voice said more, "_Are you an angel? Are you… are you taking me away?"_

This heavenly giggled to itself. "No, I'm not an angel. And this is far from heaven. Did you get your eyes gouged out or something?"

Mirage wasn't staring at no god- far from it actually. What he was staring up at is a bipedal, purple Pokémon with humongous, floppy ear which hung low like flowing hair. She was plump and innocent seeming. And most of all, she spoke in a tone that soothed Mirage's soul.

The purple Audino noticed that Mirage did not move for quite some time. She appeared concerned, "Can you move? Are you paralyzed?"

_Oh, right. I should be able to move... I hope_. "Uh, yeah. Just give me a quick second." The Zoroark struggled to seat himself up. Panting; bearing any pain that he was taking, preserving. When he did sat himself in an upright position, he saw straight through the purple Audino and witnessed another, shorter, and more pink Audino near a wooden door. Mirage pointed at her, "Who's she?"

The purple Audino's eyes popped, shifting her focus to the other elephant in the room, "Sorry! I forgot! Hey, come over here and introduce yourself!"

Mirage could already tell that the shorter Audino is on the shyer side. She didn't move with much confidence, she didn't take large steps- she was even mumbling to herself and playing with her fingers, constantly staring at the tiled floor beneath her.

The pink Audino had a small voice introducing herself, "Um.. hi, my name is Kain. And I'll be your Doctor." Realizing what she just said, the Audino nodded her head, shaking out the inevitable stupidity, "I mean! I mean! My name is Kain. I will be taking care of your body-" Kain did it again, shaking her head, "I mean, I'll be your special nurse! I mean, my name is Kain and I'll be your nurse, okay?"

"Okay?" Mirage's eyes squinted. _If I didn't know any better, this chick is about the pee herself from embarrassment._

The purple Audino picked up Kain's slack. She beamed, "Like she said, her name is Kain. She'll be your nurse." Her hands folded together as she smiled to lure him in to her kind and welcoming bubble. "My name is Kaive! I'll be your Doctor!"

Kaive extended her reach to the Zoroark. All that bought was another confused look and a head scratch. Kaive sighed and squeezed her had twice, "You know an open palm means you shake it, right?"

"Shake?" Mirage, perplexed, asked.

"Here." Kaive latched her palm against Mirage's own. He blushed. _Is this some sort of mating call? This is really weird. Her hand is warm._ "It was a human tradition to greet others with a firm handshake." Kaive forced both Mirage's and Kaive's forearms to swing in an up and down motion. "A handshake is a symbolism of a new, potential, growing bond between two strangers. A handshake can lead to a lot of different things amongst acquaintance."

"I'm not following your logic…." Mirage nervously mouthed, fidgeting his hand.

Her unused hand grabbed around Mirage's own. Kaive stared deep into the Zoroark's red eyes with her blue eyes and put up a compelling half-smile, "It means you can trust me. Anything good that happens between two strangers in the future starts with a handshake. We are now bound to the fate of many bonds. That's why it was such a popular human tradition."

For a second there, he thought about it. And then Mirage frowned, "Are you hitting on me using cheesy human shit?"

"You're hopeless." Kaive let go of Mirage's hand and yawned. "I guess that's what I get for trying to make friends with someone who tried to kill a Serge."

Kain's eyebrows lowered, "You tried to kill a Sergeant? I guess that's why you're here, right?"

"Mm-hmm. But you still didn't answer my question," Mirage said. "Where are we? And what did you do to Alice?"

"Alice, who?" Kain did not recognize. "Anyways…" The shiny Audino coughed up some mucus to clear her throat. Afterwards, she dramatically spewed her reach outwards in a fantastical fashion and yelled...

"_**Welcome to The Junkyard**! We supply a place for criminals to stay and let loose. All you need to do is not die!"_

* * *

**East Junkyard Interior 1F**

_The Junkyard, huh?_

It's been a few hours since the Zoroark first woke up. His injuries weren't that serious, just a mild concussion. Well… mild would be an absolute understatement. Tank rocked his world hard. Literally. He would deal with that asshole once he was out of this place, which is far from being any heaven he had or will ever dream up.

But that was the thing, though.

Mirage seemed to be having troubling wrapping his head around it. He knew why he was in here, but he still didn't understand why this place existed. He sure as hell never heard about some maximum security prison. All he needed to do was not die. Simple enough. Maybe.

A sea of criminals- the worst of the worst; the baddest of the baddest; the tough nail in the soft haystack. And Mirage couldn't have been anymore bored, as he trekked down the very long hallway. Did he fit in? Who cares. All he needed to do was make sure not to die. _Simple enough. Maybe._

He started to think about Kaive and her little sister.

_She seems nice._

_She seems like a good Doctor for someone my age._

_She seems to be way too happy to be in a prison._

_She's weird_.

Then Mirage's mind instantly snapped to another thought.

**_She's pretty hot_**.

_"WHO SAID THAT?_!" Mirage checked out the hallway in a quick fashion, like he's attempting trying to jaywalk a busy intersection. There wasn't a soul who thought what he thought, but Mirage made it out like there was. A few seconds, every criminal's lips were sealed and Mirage became the only one who stood out like a sore thumb. _Great, now I'm that mental case who talks to himself._

Who was he kidding? It's his own dirty thoughts. That's what he thought for the most part._ Fantastic. Now I can't get her off my-_

*_**THUMP**_* Mirage ran into a Pokémon sized wall. It didn't help that he got punched in the face, now he had to suffer from a potential concussion… again. A Nidoking just about his height snorted his horrible breath in Mirage's face. If the illusionist had any less composure and a weak stomach, he'd be throwing chunks. _They don't call em' a Poison-element for nothing,_ Mirage remarked to himself.

"Ey', chump! Who the hell do ya' think ya' bumpin' into like that?! You gotta death wish or somethin'?!" the Nidoking grunted.

Mirage pinched his nose and gagged, "Do you expect me to scared with breath like that? Trust me, you aren't foolin' anybody, here!"

The Nidoking brandished his fists, cracking each and ever muscle as if every tiny broken bone would amplify his own strength. "The hell you say?! You gone regret those words, boy! I hope you've realized that we in The Junkyard!"

"Yeah? What about it?" he said without any care for it.

*_**THUMP**_* That was Mirage's first mistake: He talked back to someone who is obviously larger and a hell of a lot more scarier than him. For that, he got punched in the exact same spot that Tank crudely left him with. After reconstituting himself, Mirage spat some blood that filled his cheeks. "Little asshole! Talk about a cheap shot!"

And that was Mirage's second mistake: He uttered trash even though he was obviously on the losing side. The Nidoking laughed; his goons laughed right along with him. Not only was Mirage a huge trash talker, he is also notoriously ignorant. When the Nidoking quieted down, he kicked Mirage in his face, forcing him flat on the hard, cold surface of steel.

The Nidoking smirked, "What a joke. You a newbie, boy? Wanna know something, Zoroark?!" He lowered his feet on top of Mirage's chest, squeezing his tired and agonizing expression like a Caterpie. The injured Zoroark could feel everything. The pain. The suffering. The lack of air. He's dying. He knows it. And yet, there isn't anything he could do. The Nidoking crushed him even harder. Pain followed by pain filled shrieks. "You don't need any decency here in the Junkyard!"

Mirage's gaze simmered. His consciousness is fading away. "W-what does that even mean?"

He snickered maliciously, "You 'bout to find out!"

The Nidoking charged up a purple gooey essence of a Poison Jab on his right fist. "You better hope Arceus blesses your soul in the next life!" Mirage helplessly watched as he became powerless to whatever that Nidoking had planned for him. All there was to see is a large, poison embedded, fist. And when his life flashed before his eyes, the Poison Jab just halted all of a sudden. And now the Nidoking had a surprised and scared look on his face.

Mirage gazed at his arm. There was another hand wrapped around it; a reddish brown hand with black stripes running all along its forearm. It latched on to the Nidoking's muscle and held on.

"What the hell?!" the Nidoking panted. He turned to his weighted back to find his answers…

And that would be the _last_ mistake he made.

***_CRACK_*** A sharp crack of many bones breaking at once as the Nidoking's neck twisted in an abnormal form. As of the moment, his head was on backwards. The last look on his face was that of fear and helplessness. The big goliath crashed opposite from Mirage. His eyes were completely white. His mouth drooled an ungodly amount of saliva. He was dead. Stone, cold dead.

What Mirage saw next was a Krokorok. Their skin is tinted a reddish-brown and its snout is shorter than any Krokorok he had ever seen. Ever seen up close that is. The Krokorok's black spikes curved downward instead of straight up.

"Uh... thanks," Mirage stood up and tried to retain back his breath, only to get slammed back down on the pavement by the very same Krokorok who saved her. _What, now? Does everyone have beef around here?_ Mirage gazed into the Krokorok's black mask where their eyes were. The two bodies were dangerously close to one another. "What's the big idea? I didn't do anythi-"

Mirage didn't say anything further because his lips were sealed. Literally. The Krokorok's lips met with his and went all out on Mirage. _He's kissing me_. That thought immediately jumped from being calm to alarming. **_HE'S KISSING ME!_ **Mirage shoved the Krokorok away from his chest and made the decision to quickly stand up and back away. His cheeks were flushed with red. "WHAT THE HELL, MAN?! I DON'T ROLL WITH OTHER…"

"Other….. what?" they said.

"Other males! Sorry, bud, I know you helped me and all but I don't know you and I don't roll that sort of way," Mirage rejected.

"Male?" the Krokorok's mouth shook. _What's so funny?_

"What the hell are you doing, Lylia?!" _Yet another person who comes out of nowhere_. Mirage's eyes were fixated on the Luxio trailing beyond the hallway of the Junkyard's interior.

The Luxio finally approached the two Pokémon, his mane dangling above his right eye and his mane appearing as he just leaped in a tornado, then let his mane dry after the fact. The Krokorok answered to his call and giggled, "This guy was in trouble and I thought I'd help him!"

The Electric-element sighed and returned his eye contact to the Zoroark, "Sorry about my sister, she can be quite... forward. The name's Leone."

_Why didn't it click earlier_, thought Mirage. He bi-curiously pointed at the Krokorok, "Sister? So… you're a female?"

"I'm not mad. But yes, I'm a chick. Name's Lylia," she introduced. Lylia slid close to the Zoroark's chest and pressed her palm against his mane. She ran it up and down in a erotic fashion. "But a handsome and standup guy like you can call me Lylie… all… night... long…" Lylie's snout started rubbing all over his tall, masculine body. Mirage's breathing and heart rate beats more ferocious and intense. _This doesn't feel right. This doesn't feel right_.

"Lylie! Get off of him! Seriously? Are we really doing this, now?" Leone commanded.

Lylia gave Leone a hard attitude and eased off the Zoroark. She crossed her arms and faced her brother in his face, "You never let me have fun anymore, Leone!"

"Because your fun, as you try to call it, involves having sex with every other guy," Leone rebutted. "And since your my sis and I know you did it, I think you know exactly what to say to him."

"You don't know if I did it or not," Lylie pouted.

"Lylie... I swear if you don't…"

"UHHG!" Lylie snorted, "FINE, MOM! I'LL SAY IT! GET OFF MY BACK ABOUT, GEEZ! I WAS GONNA SAY IT ANYWAYS!" Mirage eyes wondered. _This is something, huh? Pretty awkward._

"Well?" Leone hurried along.

Lylia turned to the Illusion Pokémon and breathed out, "Sorry that I kissed you…"

"And…" Leone continued.

"Sorry that I tried to have sex with you… although it's still on the table," Lylia said with the last part of her apology said very quickly.

**"AND…**" Leone led.

"I'm not gonna say it," Lylia refused.

"Say it or so help you Arceus."

"sorryitackledyou," the Krokorok quickly forced out.

"What was that? Can you say it louder, please?" Leone ordered.

"Sorry I tackled you," Lylia finished.

"Much better. By the way, we never got your name. What's your name?" Leone asked of Mirage. He was too busy staring off into blank space to care for what Leone and Lylia asked of him. Lylie pressed her digits together and snapped them in front of the eyes of the Zoroark. Mirage shook out of his trance immediately.

"What was that? Can you repeat that?" Mirage smiled.

"Your name. What is it?" Leone repeated, annoyed by the mercenary.

"Mirage. That's my name," he greeted.

"Mirage?" Leone thought over in his head. "Mirage... mirage…. mirage…. mirage... mirage…. where have I heard that before?" The Luxio began to pace around Mirage and his sister. "Sis, you heard of a Mirage, before?"

Lylia poked her chin and stared about at blankness. Nothing clicked with her either. You'd think that you would remember a Zoroark named Mirage, but O guess not. Lylia nodded her head, "Nuh-uh. Can't remember a guy named Mirage, you don't know either, Leone?"

"Nope," Leone said. He stepped around to Mirage's backside and checked him out. "I swear I heard you from somewhere before. I just can't put my paw on it." Leone sat down and managed his mane with the bottom of his soft, black paw. The Luxio clawed away at his mane and left eye.

"OH! I know how we can check! I don't why we didn't this of this earlier," Lylia proclaimed. "Why're here?"

Slurred words came to confuse the Zoroark, as he let out a "What?", his face folding down into wrinkles.

Lylie nudged him on the shoulder. "You know, why are you here? What'd ya' do in the outside world?"

Mirage got the point and he wasn't so sure. He had his answers, but would it be wise to drag someone else into his own problems. The Zoroark replayed the memories in his mind back a recorder. He could touch the very pavement in many cities, markets, and towns. He could smell the blood of the corpses he's created. He could hear Alice's shrieks. The feeling of a sudden and blunt pain. The bitter taste of defeat of his own jaw biting against his tongue. Then... nothing.

He didn't feel that he should, so he nodded. _I don't deserve their pity. I can handle this myself,_ "It's nothing. It's something you shouldn't be concerning yourselves about."

"Oh come on, secrets aren't fun!" Lylie complained, rolling her cheeks into a big grin.

"Lylie, if he doesn't want to tell us, that's fine. I'll remember it eventually," Leone said, trailing off to the other part of this place. Before he exited the conversation, the Luxio stopped in his place and spoke up. "Mirage, are you new here, by any chance?"

"Uh.. yeah. I guess me getting my ass whopped gave it away," Mirage answered, dryly laughing.

"Well, there's three things you need to know about this place." Leone twisted his fierce gaze at the Illusion Pokémon. "**One:** Don't try to break out. You'll fail. **Two**: Under any circumstances must you not obey the Warden. You'll be punished. Got that?"

"Uh-huh. But I thought there were three things, not just two," Mirage counted on his fingers.

"I was getting to that!" Leone took a breath of air. "And **three**: As long as you abide by those two rules, there is nothing that you can't do. Even rape. _Even murder._ All you need to do is not die. Sound simple?"

"Maybe," Mirage said. A prison without any rules. _A place that allows murders as long as you don't disobey. What sort of demented place is this?_ "Thanks, Leone. I guess I'll be seeing you guys later."

"Maybe. You might end up dead before then. Lylie, let's go!" Leone yelled. Lylia jumped in shock from Mirage's side and quickly ran to her brother.

"I'll be seeing you later. Won't I, Mirage?" Lylie hinted with a strange and honestly kind of creepy wink.

"Sure," Mirage sarcastically went along. "Thanks again for saving me, though! You two take care, okay?"

"We will. It's you I'd be worried about. After all, you are the Shadow Mercenary, right?" Leone sheepishly grinned.

Mirage stammered silently, showing surprise that the Luxio knew. Making it almost too obvious, "How did you know?"

Amazed, Lylie slapped Leone on his mane, "Yo! That's awesome, bro. So you remembered?"

"Yeah, I remember Horatio going off about some Zoroark mercenary named Mirage. Before we got caught, one of our boys got by a Zoroark. With that said, I'd like to apologize to you for Horatio, Mirage."

"Why are you sorry?" the Zoroark mumbled.

"Because our associates were the ones who delivered the message that you were on your way to kill Raine," he revealed. A shocking revelation was certainly new news to Mirage, shown by the horrified expression on his face. _Associates? Horatio? What the hell do all these things have to do with anything?_ "I'll be seeing you, Mirage. Let's go, Lylie."

The same ones that saved his life were the same ones who were to blame for his current predicament. That same, haunting day of yesterday replayed over and over. All of those things led to the same thing.

"_Wait_!"

Both the Krokorok and Luxio stopped in their place. Leone spoke out, "Yeah, wassup?"

"Do you guys know what happened to my sister? She's a little Zorua with violet eyes and-"

"Let me stop you there, Mirage," Lylia interrupted. "We said that an associate of ours ratted you out. Whether this is outta spite or some shit, we got no idea. We've been in here for a couple months and only got the news by word of mouth. We weren't even there when you got arrested. All we got to know is that whoever said it was connected to the Black Thorns. Honestly, we couldn't give a Rattata's ass what happens to your sister. Sorry, but I don't give a damn."

"Exactly, I can't say it better myself. Good job, Lylia!" Leone complimented.

"_AWW_! Thanks, bro! I try! See, Leone, I can do words too. I got a lot of smarts, don't I?" Lylie bragged.

"Not when you say it like that, you don't," Leone quipped.

"What do you mean?!" Mirage yelled. "If my life is going to be ruined, I want the guilty party to man up and tell it how it is. And as far as I know, you two are guilty, SO START SPEAKING!" The Zoroark held in his hand a form of hardened life force, creating a Night Slash in one hand and a grenade-shaped Dark Pulse in another.

Leone and Lylie stared at each other for a moment, they both giggled and nearly fell over in laughter. "THAT'S RICH! HE'S SERIOUS ABOUT THIS!" Lylia wiped a tear from her eyes and cracked her back. "Look, Mirage, you ain't that bad. Fine, I'll throw a crybaby his bone. Is that fine, Leone?"

"Perfectly fine with me, we better stop making him mad or he'll sick his scary Night Slash at us!" the Luxio mocked._ I swear, I can't trust anybody in this hellhole!_ Mirage growled like a dog, finding little reason why he should keep his composure. He was that close from tearing both their heads off and all they can do is laugh at him.

"Laugh now, but you won't be laughing when I-"

***_BUMP_*** Mirage's stomach caved in under Lylie's brutal fist, knocking the wind out of it. He had been too helpless but to only lean over in her arms. Her lips were closer enough to his person that she could do anything to the Zoroark, but she opted to simply whisper, sensually. "Here's the thing: _**IF** _you get out of here, go find an Espeon named _Yuhi_. He's apart of the Black Thorns and he'll give you all the information you need. That is, _IF_ you can get out in one piece. Until then…"

Lylie hugged the man she just punched in the gut tightly. She closed her eyes, puckered her lips and forced herself on Mirage. For a decent minute, that was all Mirage could bear: having a lustful Krokorok lunge herself on him. He'd be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy himself because he did. All of that finished with a line of drool hanging off from both mouths. Mirage read from her body language and her strong gaze that she wanted more than just a kiss, but they both knew that Leone nor himself wouldn't allow it.

"I'll see you on the outside world, Mirage. I'll be waiting. So don't forget about me, k'?" Lylie's halfhearted and sexually charged grin put him on edge. _Am I being charmed by someone I had no interest in? This world is weird._

"Holdupholdupholdup, you're making this out like you're just gonna leave," Mirage noted.

"That's because we are!" Leone bragged. "Word of advice: If you know a guy on the outside world who's got some influence and some money, then this place isn't scary. After all, this will be the eight time we bail this place!"

_**EIGHTH**? They got in and out of here eight time already?!_

Leone and Lylie walked away towards a large set of arched, double doors on the outside, "Maybe you might surprise us by joining the Black Thorns when you get out of this hellhole. Hopefully, you'll find your sis by then. And hopefully, you won't be dead by then! Simple enough?"

"Maybe!" Mirage bid farewell.

* * *

**Present Time...**

A body lays down in complete and distilled darkness. Nothing but the cold and unforgiving hard metal of the flooring beneath him. It didn't feel right. It felt warm. Breathless. Unable to wiggle and worm in his own mediocrity. He was a corpse in the making. _Where did everything go wrong?_

Mirage lays in a pool of his own blood, continually spreading outward. His breath came thinner. Thinner. Thinner. The Zoroark is dying in a manifestation of his own shadows. Irony, indeed. _Where did everything go wrong?_

It all happened so suddenly. One minute, everything felt close to completion. The next, everything fell apart. A thought of regret kept pounding away at his brain. We're all going to die. I got caught. They knew this whole time. Everything this plan was built to be… ruined. Mirage clenched to his stomach and bit down on his bloody mouth.

He attempted to crawl… but nothing happened. This wasn't a flesh wound, he had been impaled in the gut. Mirage's heartbeat refused to cooperate with his hyperventilation. Any second now, he would really be dead. And not a single soul to save him.

_Not Kain._

_Not Lylia._

_Not Boomer._

_Not Izol._

_Not Sera._

_Not Kaive_.

How many times would he be saved before his luck finally ran out. The blood stretched even further from his stomach. The light in his eyes dimmed to show nothing but a darkness. One shadow. One, dark shadow that informs Mirage that his life is ticking away fast. _Where did everything go wrong?_ The Zoroark tried calling out with his dry, last breaths.

_Help…_

_Me…._

_Anyone…_

_**Please**…_

But there wasn't anyone. No one except the person who impaled him.

"Man, I really thought you'd be a tough cookie to crack! Guess even da Shadow Mercenary loses to the Phantasma Syndicate. Which I find… interesting. To think that the great Mirage would resort to calling out for his useless friends. And you want to know what's funny?"

The man received zero response. He shrugged it off and continued.

"I find it funny that your sister, you know the one you failed to protect, is just chilling with the Phantasma. And it's really insulting that everyone sees us as the bad guys. Sure.. we do some questionable and ain't yo heroes in shinin' armor, but we just have a way of how we think the world should work. Of course… that does make us bad guys in The Council's eyes, right?"

_Silence_. Mirage wasn't dead; He's getting there, though.

"I guess you are right, maybe we are the bad guys. Makes you wish that you didn't leave your buddies behind to live on to the heroic day where all six of you guys would break out! Shame that three of them are in The Room, one's half dead, and the other two are simply oblivious to the other four! I find that funny!"

The questionable Pokémon sat down on a bed and cracked his neck. He pointed down at Mirage. "Here's the thing, though: I can't allow you to live. Nothing personal. But everything will be better off if you just took a long nap. What if the Shadow Mercenary, that regenerating swine of a Servine, and miss little 'Miracle Worker' in the Clinic all became part of the same gang of misfits as Yuhi, Leone, Lylie, and that Horatio?"

No answers yet again.

"I'll tell what it will lead to.." the Pokémon bent down to Mirage's eye level. He had a smug, rough appearing look on his face. Mirage knew that face from the cafeteria. It was before he met Izol- when he was hidden away in the shadows. The smug face of a Granbull.

"It's gonna lead to a problem, Mirage. That's what it's gonna lead to. And if I didn't defuse the problem before it arises then you couldn't call me by my name. You couldn't call me by _Corporal Zeff of the Phantasma Syndicate!"_

_Where did everything go wrong?_

* * *

_**2 Hours Before…. Boomer's Cell**_

* * *

"Are you all ready? Everyone knows what they're doing right?" Mirage asked his whole team as the day grew into a distant darkness.

Boomer gave him the thumbs up... or the claws up to restate that she had been ready, "Imma as ready as I'll eva' be, mate!"

Izol slapped Sera on his back and yanked him close, "We're ready! As long as Sera doesn't screw us over by not holding his own, then I think we got this! Right, Sera?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Can we just get this stupid thing over and done with? We've only been here for two days yet I feel I've been here for freaking months! Getting tired of this place!" Sera proclaimed, easing out of Izol's hold.

"Good. Glad we're all up and ready! If we do this right, not only will be out of here, but we will also be together as a group! We can finally live the easy life!" Mirage promised. Izol frowned, immediately getting noticed by the entire band of merry misfits. The Zoroark became the first to address the pink, black, and gold Sneasel. "What's the matter? Do you think we shouldn't do this?"

Izol's memories were instantly haunted by a recent memory of past, not one she would forget:

_"I want you to take this analogy to where you are going. Nothing ever goes right in this world and don't expect to be exempt from the horrors this world has for you. Because you are no God and no different than any of us:** Survivors.**"_

"I don't know... something doesn't feel right, like we're being watched or something. Kite felt like this before we went inside Bell Tower," Izol explained.

"So what? We'll make it out just fine! Right, Boomer?" Mirage consulted.

"Yeah, Izol! We got this! No need to worry ya' pretty little head!" Boomer comforted.

"I think Izol's right. Maybe we should wait. Something just doesn't feel right. Kite and Kain will be just fine probably until tomorrow, so there's no reason to rush," Sera agreed with his partner.

Mirage nudged Sera on his stubby shoulders, "Come on, you two, _what's the **worst** that can happen?!"_

* * *

_***BANG BANG*** _Two clicks on a metal door alerted the many guards of The Junkyard of their presence. Four Pokémon stands by on Lanturns, awaiting a verbal response on the electrified seawater. Then, there was a sudden voice talking from behind the metal doorways.

"Who is it?!"

A short Scizor with a black bandana tied around her neck grins and consults a Plusle, a Vaporeon, and a Nidorina. All three of them nods at the same time. The Scizor drifted a bit closer to the metallic doors and introduced exactly, who the hell they were.

_**"Maintenance Check!"**_

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**WOOHOO! Only one more chapter until the end of the Junkyard Arc. To suffice, the next chapter is going to be LONG! Very, very long. Probably 10k of everything goes correctly. I still have yet to fully complete Kain and Mirage's back story, as well as a few other things like EVERYTHING involving the Maintenance Check. Whatever, it's gonna be pretty fun to write anyways! I've been thinking about and let's bring QOTC back. Leone and Lylia/Lylie belongs to MaliciousGravy! With all that said, I'm out! (Yes, Question of the Chapter)**

**QOTC: Speculate! What do you believe resides in the Black Thorns and Phantasma Syndicate? Any other groups you feel are going to be a thing?**

_**Review Replies:**_

**Ckbrothers (Guest): And expect to see a lot more of Eve in the coming chapters! I have big plans. BIG PLANS I SAY!**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Thanks for reading man. Makes me a very happy camper.**

**Crazeguy: Your battling style for your OC was already good o.o I just "added" a bit of my own magic to the OC's when writing a battle. I take my battling VERY seriously. That's only thing I'm confident I can write…. well!**

**OPFan37: Yes, he surely can regenerate limbs! Surprised that no one's addressed that he's a shiny and normal species like Izol XD**

**RisingSerperior: As long as you liked the chapter about Blade, then I am happy. He seriously was a bundle of fun to write!**

**Error 16: How many sides you say?! There's only about…. five groups that are planned as of now. I won't say who they are!**

**Cottonmouth25: Tense is my middle name.… not really though.**


	18. Chapter 11: The End Is Never The End

_**A/N:** It's finally here. The last tiny bit of the Junkyard Arc. Well… tiny would be an understatement. It's been a long ride, but I can finally put this big boy to rest now. Thanks to everyone who had been patient enough to read this in its entirety. I'm pretty proud of how this chapter turned and everything! It's a long one, but I hope you **ENJOY :)**_

_**Gore depictions and suggestive elements. You have been warned!**_

* * *

**Prism Tower…**

"….I never knew the calamity of the situation until now," said a curious Xerneas. "This Warden fellow sure is an interesting little creature."

"Exactly, when he assumed the position as Warden, I did have my suspicions about his future activities while stationed in The Junkyard." Zygarde stared about the wide view from the Prism Tower, down into Lumiose City "Now, those suspicions are being brought to life," Zygarde followed.

"Pity, really. The Junkyard has only become a death judgment of conviction in recent times," Xerneas contemplated.

"And then what?! A few little critters gets the axe! This isn't something to start a war over, right? Saves me a great deal of trouble, doesn't it, my slithery friend?" _As always, Yveltal is being the most difficult of the two to try and talk through to. No use trying to get through to an imbecile._

The General simply ignored his brass comments and continued, "As much as I could send someone else there, then there will be internal complications over why. That's why we sent Artemis. If the rumors are true about this so-called 'Room', then she is to kill The Warden. We don't want any other Sergeants who has affiliations to The Warden who would hesitate to end his life."

"Man, it probably would've been entertaining to watch what would happen if we sent Tank over there," Yveltal yawned.

"That's a horrible idea, The Warden is Tank's old Corporal!" Zygarde argued.

"I think it would've been fun to play mind games on poor old, Frank. After all, isn't mind games a vital part of torture?" Xerneas giggled.

Zygarde huffed and turned his cheeks to a small smirk, "Ask him, he is the torturing expert after all…"

* * *

**?, Junkyard**

The dim reality of a Pokémon finally wakes up in a situation he is unfamiliar with. All he could smell was the biting taste of blood and the smell of dead bodies. When the Flygon finally saw a light, it was dim, orange, and lowly. What a dim reality to wake too.

_***CLING CLING***_ Kite attempted to move his whole physical structure. That's when he heard the sound of chains clanging about as bells. His buggy, red eyes stared down to the flooring. The Flygon is suspended and chained above the ground. If he's alive, Kite knew it wouldn't be for long. Being chained against a dry wall of stone, where blood dries underneath is nearly depleted body of energy was not fun.

Kite's hands were tied at the wrist, so it proved more trying to struggle for freedom, in which he had none. Then the reality slapped him. He was still alive. Maybe not alive and well, but alive. Though, this was the last place he'd want to be in his life. The Flygon heard the sounds of muffled screams heading his way. "What is that?" he mumbled to himself.

The buggy dragon casually examined the room. There's a metal surgeon's table with dried and wet blood splattered on top of it. The other side of his position is another wall with more steel chains, which would tie up more unlucky candidates. The east side of this room was a doorway to something, although he couldn't put his finger on its contents.

And finally, Kite took a good look to the left of him. The horrors shocked him. Two dead bodies chained up, oozing red over the walls: A Numel and a Girafarig. The Girafarig was hung by his long neck with the steel chain. One of his eyes were brutally gouged out its sockets and there's a hard bone jammed in his neck. He seemed to have had enough blood gush from the wound. He's definitely dead.

The Numel simply had enough. He possessed zero cuts or openings, he had been crushed multiple times, becoming nothing but a flat volcano of his former self.

If there were one thing they all had in common is suffering. Every last one of them suffered. You could see the distress in their eyes. They all had all that same, flushed stare in their eyes. Although there was one body: A Butterfree.

"_IdontwannadieIdontwannadieaIdontwannadieIdontwannadieman_," he shook uncontrollably. "They're all dead because of me. Why did I drag them into this?" The feeling of an appending death. Kite felt the fear run from his spine up to the rest of his body. Will he be viciously mauled as those two, poor Pokémon?_ I'm going to die, aren't I?_

Kite's eyes widened in absolute horror at the sheer sight of the victim chained opposite from him in their death room. He stuttered and harshly whispered, "K-kain?! What are you doing here?"

Kite didn't receive an answer, just the knowledge that Kain's unconscious.

Kain's arms were wrapped around by her left wrist. The Flygon's nurse hung around with little restraints. She, too, had been tortured and beaten. Beaten all over, bruises on her neck and lower sections of her body. Kain's body was toyed with. It's only obvious that she had been taken advantage of. Kite had teething rage and no way to break out of his chains._ Whoever did this to her would pay,_ he thought.

*_**CREEK**_* A metal door slid open, slowly. That nasty Pangoro came in with a dirty smile on his face, when he noticed that both the Butterfree and the Flygon were both awake from their unwarranted slumber. His hands were smothered in the blood of the Girafarig and Numel, and quite possibly, Kain. Just as a disgusting taunt, The Warden possessed a washcloth.

"Wakey, wakey, Kite! How well did you sleep?" he addressed.

Kite growled, clanging around his chain bonds. He's pissed, to say the least, "What the hell did you do to her? She doesn't have anything to do with this!"

The Warden wiped the washcloth around his hand to try and clean the heavy blood. He shrugged, "You see it, don't you? She's female. What else would I have done to her?"

"Bastard!" Kite lunged at the Pangoro, failing to struggle free from his bonds. "You raped her! You're a disgusting and perverted thing, no right to be called a Pokémon, let alone a man! When I get my hands on you, I swear on my life I'll kill you!"

"Aww, does that mean we aren't friends, anymore?" The Warden sarcastically pouted with a fake, dramatic, poke of his bottom lip.

"I can't stand people like you. You're a monster," Kite viciously snapped.

The Warden laughed at his face, "Man, oh man, I never thought of the moment where I'd break the kindhearted Kite! Boy, Kain must really love you and that Quilava if she's gonna risk her neck on a three failures!"

"You referring to Sera?" Kite hissed.

"Yep, that's his name, ain't it?" The Pangoro chewed around the green, leaf shoot steaming from his mouth. "And while we're at the subject, that little Sneasel of yours is causing me a hella lot of trouble. But you gotta like a gal with spunk!"

"I'm going to let you touch a single finger on Izol, do you understand me?!" he yelled back. _If only I wasn't tied up, I swear. I swear, I'll end everything about him!_ The Pangoro coughed to interrupt Kite's "promises", guiding himself to the nervous train wreck of a Butterfree. Tears streamed continually down the side of his face, his eyes flashing his entire life on replay.

"What's the matter, Nex? Weren't you the one who would be the hero who broke out and saved everyone in The Junkyard? What happened, buddy? Your friends are dead because of you!" the Pangoro taunted. Nex's eyes were shrouded in discomfort, and his body became possessed with nervous and unbearable twits.

"I-i-i-i'm sorry. Please, just let them go. I don't care what you do to me!" Nex begged. He's really giving his life for me and Kain's sake? Is he noble or just very dumb? The Pangoro thrusts his fist against Nex's abdomen. A loud shriek of pain came next. And after that, a small spit of blood drained from his lower lip.

"Sorry, but I'm fresh out of mercy," The Warden benevolently snickered. Those same benevolent snickers turned into gaudy laughter of a creepy enjoyment from all of this. Kite's teeth scratched among each other's surfaces.

"What's your deal? Are you really mad that all they wanted was get away from you?" Kite yelled. Nex's chains began to jangle from the way The Warden had been yanking them. A hardy pull snapped the chains from their locks on the wall and released the body. The hurting Butterfree fell right into the Pangoro's hands, with his neck softly gripped by The Warden's bare hands.

"No, I'm not mad about that. You see, it's been a trying couple of days for me. Not only did The Council drop off three brats who caused me some trouble, but I also have them inspecting my ship!" His hands around the Butterfree screwed tighter. "You know how frustrating it is when your stupid parents keep taking away the prey from my forest? The Council thinks they can reel me in. But I'll show them that I am NOT to be trifled with!"

Nex's face started to go blue, but The Warden kept squeezing away at his tiny life, **"I AIN'T ALLOWING PUNKS LIKE YOU TO GET OVER ME! YOU ARE MY TOYS AND I CAN DAMN SURE DO WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT WITH YOU!"** The Warden's tight grasp alleviated and Nex got a chance to hold in a large breath. "So with that said, Kite…. I want you to watch me tear apart someone who decides they can have their way with me. I'm going to show you during the last hours of your life that no matter who you are, The Warden gets his way.…"

"F-f-flygon, help me, please," Nex struggled to utter. A single tear dropped from his eyelids, as did Kite.

The Flygon nodded his head in sadness, nearing the verge of crying, trying to hold back his tears when it became so heavy and such a large burden to. He's simply powerless. And it felt absolutely depressing.

"I-i'm sorry, I can't. I'm so sorry."

The Room, as the prisoners say, is the _endgame_.

* * *

**?, Junkyard BF1**

_I need you two to go to the second basement floor and find an electrical box. Open it and pluck the blue wire. That will disable the electrified water surrounding the Junkyard._

Mirage's words bounced from Izol and Sera's heads as they took long, quiet steps across the dim hallway. As far as they were concerned, any and all guards were the enemy. The two Pokémon descended into what felt like to areas with less oxygen. A metal staircase leading down to a basement area isn't exactly what you could call flattering or inviting. The Sneasel and Quilava stared into the blank space alone.

The weirdly-colored Sneasel made a long whisper. She slapped Sera on his back, "Welp, there's no going back now, is there?"

"The quicker it's over with, the quicker we can get out of here," Sera stated, dreading whatever lied underneath it all. Izol stretched her arms into a loud, feline yawn. Her claws ran up and down on her backside.

"True. So what are we waiting for?" Izol smirked after saying that question, bowing down and holding her hand towards the basement's staircase, "Come on, Sera. Ladies first!"

Sera sniggered, "Whatever, Izol. You're just scared to get completely mauled like that Plusle did to you."

Izol frowned and spat a noogie to her right, "She got a lucky shot. Besides, you and I both know that I can kick her ass on any given day if I don't go easy on her." She lifted her shoulders and poked out her tongue, but Sera ignored her, flickered on his flame body for lights, and headed first into the abyss.

The Razor Claw Pokémon sighed, "Everyone's a critic." Izol scratched away at her feathers, contemplating. _Guess I need more material. My jokes are getting through,_ she thought. An alarm in Izol's head rang; she snapped her fingers. "Hey, Sera!"

"What?"

"I bet you couldn't stand not being close to me! After all, you're in love with me, right?!" Izol teased.

"Hurry and get down here! We don't have all night!" Sera yelled. Is he ignoring me? That stupid loser is ignoring me, isn't he? Izol rolled her eyes and took her steps down the uncomfortably cold, basement staircase.

"Sera, you're a dumbass. I hope you get killed, first," Izol frowned.

"Running out of jokes, Izol?" Sera taunted from below the Junkyard's surface. In return, Izol's nose flickered with content anger. _Stupid Sera. Who the hell does he think he's talking to like that?_ Then, Izol made her path down the staircase and into The Junkyard's Boiler Room.

* * *

**Boiler Room, Junkyard BF2**

Not a single sound is heard in the Boiler Room. The cold creeks of machinery and engineering resonated from the dark, damp room they put themselves in. From the outside, this place is as unknown of a room as they possibly come. Simply finding your way was useless you had a flashlight. In this case, a Fire-element.

Fear shot through the bodies of Izol and Sera, who were hopelessly trying to scour the dungeon, in search of something. The only thing that comforted them had been the drops of residue water leaking from the ceilings. With every drop that splashed is a second of realization of your own life. As long as you could hear sounds, those two weren't dead. At this point, that was all that mattered.

_Drop_…

"Hey, Izol, am I the only that getting creeped out by this place?" Sera carefully stepped. Izol blended with the environment well, only making her golden eyes, feathers, and pink streaks the only thing that could be visible.

"Yep. But you're always scared of everything," Izol joked, covering her mouth as she began to yawn more.

Sera's face burrowed into a small frown, "I'm not scared of everything, weirdo. Besides, I bet you're scared too and you just don't want to say anything."

"I am scared. But, if you're going to be doing this, then I can do this too!" Izol proclaimed.

_Click_…

Izol stomped her feet and stared at the Quilava. "SERA, WATCH OUT, THERE'S A PUDDLE!"

"**WHERE**?!" Sera abruptly flinched backwards and enlightened his flames from his body. He clanged against the hard metal behind him and looked at the suspected surface. The metal is completely clear of any sort of small puddles or even any water, as of a matter of fact. The Quilava rubbed the top of his head and got back on all fours. "Haha, you're soooo funny."

Izol laughed, holding her stomach, "See? You're scared of practically everything!"

"I swear I'll kill you. I'm going to melt you into a pile of ashes next time you pull that stunt on me," Sera halfheartedly threatened. There he goes threatening to kill me, again.

"You know what they say, Sera: 'Actions speaks louder than words.' I mean, come on, you say that every other day and I'm still here," Izol debunked.

"Just watch when we get out of here…. you'll wish you were sorry," Sera mumbled.

**_Drop_**…

They've been in this stupid tunnel for minutes upon end now. Both of them were slowing their pace and were now taking smaller steps. It became apparent that these two are bored. Izol impatiently stomped her feet on the ground and shrieked.

"**WHERE IS THIS STUPID THING?! HOW HARD CAN IT BE TO FIND A SIMPLE BOX?!"** Izol shouted to the enclosure. Her golden eyes flipped behind her. Not even the staircase leading back to the Junkyard's surface is visible now. Izol became tense, knowing that she had zero directional sense, easily lost, and can't deduce her rights from her lefts. All of that, and she's in the dark.

"Shut up!" Sera brashly whispered. "We're gonna get caught cus' of you!"

"Well, Mr. Know-It-All, where the hell is this thing, then?! I betcha Mirage is trying to kill us, slowly by slowly. You know what I can't stand?"

"Let me guess, Izol, you hate being lost."

"No! I hate getting lost and being lost with you!" Izol shrieked as she clenched her pink paw and held on to a wall. "WHY CAN'T ANYTHING GO OUR WAY?!"

*_**BANG**_* Izol smashed her fist against the steel wall. For a brief minute, Izol just stood motionless with her arm stiffened completely straight. Then suddenly, the neurons inside Izol's palms ran rampant. Pain shot through her hand and all throughout her arm. Izol's eyes jerked open and shut. She pulled back her throbbing hand and screamed, "AH, SON OF A BITCH! WHY IS STEEL SO HARD!" Without any time to think about it, Izol stuffed her entire fist in her mouth. _Ahhh… much better._

"_Waitwaitwaitwaitaminute_…. Izol take a step back from the wall for a quick second," Sera told, motioning Izol to step aside with his hand.

"What? You think you can better than me?" Izol asked with her mouth full, making her sentence garbled. "If that hurts me, then you bet that a little rodent like you isn't gonna doing a thing to help."

"JUST MOVE ASIDE!" Sera yelled, his flames erupting from his backside.

"Fine… bossy pants," Izol grumbled as she stepped to her very right.

Sera veered towards the spot where Izol punched: A small box with a lightning bolt symbol slapped across it. Of course, this symbol and the box were slightly dented by Izol's fist. Underneath the symbol at the bottom of the box lies a key-lock. Sera's red eyes started to get a tiny bit lighter with enthusiasm. "Izol, this is it! We found it!"

"Move over!" Izol screamed, violently shoving Sera to the side. The sudden darkness around the box made her sigh, "Sera, I need your flames. Can you get off the ground, already?"

"You're the one who shoved me in the FIRST PLACE!" Sera allowed his fire to light up the area in the room, once more. "Happy?"

Izol tilted her head and truly examined everything there is to know about this small box. She felt both relieved and skeptical. It has been a long walk and they are definitely lost. But the hell with it, Izol thought happily. "WE FOUND IT! Let's crack this baby open and get out of here!"

_Bzzzt_…

The Sneasel dug her claws inside the keyhole and began fidgeting. Simple concentration and a lucky pick were two minor things that Izol needed to open the hatch of the electrical box. Two things, Izol did not have, especially with Sera annoying her.

"Are you done, yet?" Sera asked for the nth time.

"Shut up, Sera. Kinda trying to pick right now…" Izol would respond for the nth time as well.

Sera waited a mere ten seconds before noticing that the hatch had still not fallen off the box against the wall. He rested his chin on top of Izol's left shoulder and concentrated on her palm, only to concentrate on Izol, who had her tongue sticking to her upper lip and her gaze narrowed. _She's sure taking her sweet, little time like we have any of it to give_, Sera complained to himself.

"Are you done, yet?" The Quilava tried once again.

"For the last time, Sera, no! I am not done, yet! I am trying to concentrate but you keep asking me!" Izol raised her voice, hoping that'd shut Sera up.

"Okay. Okay. Fine, I'll wait. I'll wait," Sera finally gave up.

"Thank you!"

"It's still pretty boring though."

*_**TICK**_* Izol both heard and felt something. Her claws are registering a sort of spring activating from within. A surge of relief found the Sneasel as her attitude pepped up a couple of notches. Her heart skipped a beat; everything she had been working towards was finally in sight. All of that blood, sweat, and concentration._ I got it! Holy crap, I'm almost there. Here it comes…_

"ARE YOU DONE, YET?! GEEZ, YOU'RE TAKING FOREVER!" Sera shouted.

And everything came crashing down. An astonished Izol's lips shook and her eyes filled with disappointed tears. Her sadness and disappointment quickly shifted into rage. Izol's eyes gradually went from a fierce golden to a deadly red. _I…. almost… had it!_

"Izol, are you okay? I swear, you get more useless day by day. Maybe you should let me give it a shot," Sera insulted. Izol did not utter another word from her big mouth; she held her head down. "Izol… how's it going? Did you get it unlocked?"

"S…. sera... I… had that... and you… _messed… me up._.." she said in a deeper and more sinister tone. Sera backed away, but became far too late to try and run from his mistakes.

"**_SEEEERRRRAAA_**!" Izol swiftly turned herself around and rocked the Quilava's right cheek with an Ice Punch, forcing him to tumble across the Boiler Room in a flaming ball. Sera sprawled out all his limbs, when his momentum stopped moving forward.

"What the hell, you stupid, little Sneasel?!" Sera exclaimed loudly, holding his punched cheek.

"It's already hard enough to try and pick a lock without you always in my ear! You make things a thousand times worse for me!" Izol shouted back.

"You're the one who always brags about herself! All you know how to do is waste perfectly good air!"

"Says the guy who literally makes smoke out of nowhere! If anything, you're the reason why Grass-elements kill themselves!"

"At least I look normal! I can't even tell if you're a Sneasel or an abomination! But I always like to think you're both!"

"You couldn't find a mate if you were actually attractive in any sort of way, you stupid, flaming rat!"

**"YOU WANT TO FIGHT?!**" Sera challenged.

"YEAH, I'M TOTALLY UP FOR KICKING YOUR ASS! GIVE ME THE TIME AND PLACE AND I WILL SHOVE MY CLAWS SO FAR UP YOUR ASS THAT YOU'LL REGRET BEING BORN!" Izol accepted, unsheathing her claws for battle.

"I'LL BURN YOU SO MUCH THAT YOU'D WISH THAT YOU'D GET BEATEN AND RAPED REPEATEDLY BY FIGHTING-ELEMENTS!"

_BZZZT_…

Both of them stopped what they were doing for a spilt second. They stared at each other and nodded.

_**BZZZTT**_...

_***ZAP***_ A Thunderbolt shot down at the Sneasel and Quilava, forcing the previously arguing species to narrowly dodge the attack. Izol landed left of the strike, while Sera landed right of it. _That was a close call_, Izol recognized. _One second later and we would've been done for!_

"What the hell do you think you two are doing here?" a pitched male voice outcries from behind the darkness.

"Curfew's been passed; you two should be asleep," a second voice explains.

"Depends," Izol answers with a smirk. "Who the hell are you two?"

Out from the shadows came two Pokémon: An Ampharos and an Ambipom. _Crap. I completely forgot about those two_, Izol remembered back to when she first arrived on the Main Deck and saw Boomer for the first time. Sera found something interesting though, and it's tied around the Ampharos's neck.

"Nice necklace," Sera complimented. The Ampharos touched and grasped the small key, one that could conveniently fit around the electrical box, and wandered his eyes back to the Sneasel and Quilava.

"Is this what you're after?" the Ampharos showed off.

"Yep! You wouldn't mind if you hand it over, right?" Sera bargained.

He let go of the key from his fist. "Well, you can't have it!"

"We could get fired, you know! The Warden's particulate about prisoners being where they shouldn't be!" the Ambipom elaborates.

"With that said, can you two _PLEASE_ leave? I have friends and family to feed and I really don't want this coming out of my pay," the Ampharos pleaded.

It were those simple words which took Izol completely by surprise. She couldn't believe. No, there was no way that she had a reason to believe it. Her eyes widened in astonishment, asking a very important question, "The Warden actually _pays_ the guards?! Real, authentic, coin-money, right?"

"What's the problem with him paying his employees some Coin?" the Ambipom grunted, confused.

"You literally just sit around and watch people get raped, killed, or both on a daily. Call me a skeptic, but I'm wondering why they'd have some guards around at all," Izol harshly belittled.

"Just because we work here doesn't mean we have to actually agree with what The Warden does," argues the Ambipom.

"Besides, we do have names, you know?" says the Ampharos. "I'm Fuse!"

"And I'm Box!" the Ambipom introduced.

They both held on to each other with bright smiles and synchronized, "AND TOGETHER WE'RE-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. _Fusebox_. I get the joke. Seriously, does everyone in this place have weird names?" Sera finished for the two. He shouted to the blackness, "Is there _anyone_ here without an inspired name that can replace these two guards?! If so, please step forward!"

"**HEY**! I'd have you know that my Mom gave me this name!" Box shouted offensively.

"Man, you're Mom must really hate you, then, huh?" Izol joked. She cracked her knuckles and twisted around her shoulder blades.

"Not only are you nosy, but you're rude! I was thinking about helping you guys but now that you're being mean, we'll just escort you two out of here, ourselves," Fuse challenged.

"Alright, let's just get this over with," Izol accepted. "Ready, Sera?"

"Ready when you are…" Sera mumbled, sparking orange flames all over his body.

**"ALRIGHT! PREPARE TO LOSE**!" Fuse charged up a Thunderbolt and shot it.

* * *

_**Exactly 4 Minutes and 27 Seconds Later….**_

* * *

**East Junkyard Interior 1F**

"That's the **_easiest_** job I've ever done in my life!" Izol shouted triumphantly, twirling around the key to the electrical box. Her golden eyes sparkled with passion, "All we do had to do is snap a blue wire! Man, letting off steam on those two guards was awesome!"

"Yeah, you practically did all the fighting… but what the hell do we do about them?" Sera asked, pointing Izol to the unconscious Ampharos and Ambipom at their feet. "We can't possibly take them along with us."

Izol began thinking, tapping her toes on the steel floors, "Uh… umm… uh… umm..."

Sera pointed the Sneasel to the door behind them, "What about that closet?"

Izol snapped her fingers and banged on the wooden door behind her, "What about this closet?!"

"But I just-"

"Come on, Sera! Why are you even here?! Am I the only one coming with any ideas? Geez, you're borderline useless," Izol nodded in disappointment, smacking her teeth and lips. Izol struggled to lift the fat Ampharos from the ground, barely slugging him across her shoulders. She panted, "Come on, Sera. Make yourself useful and help me stuff these guys in the closet!"

_Just take deep breaths, Sera. She isn't worth it. She's your friend. You can't kill your friends,_ Sera composed himself to do. Afterwards, Sera dragged the Ambipom towards the open closet. With the help of Izol, he managed to stuff the Electric and Normal-elements inside.

_***SLAM*** _The wooden door closed shut with Izol brushing off the dirt from her rose-colored hands. "Well, that's that. So we just go back to Boomer's Cell, right?"

"… I think so," Sera attempted to remember. "OH YEAH, we should go check on Kite!"

"Really?!" Izol smiled, showing fang and all her teeth. "Where is he?"

"Follow me, I know where he's staying at the moment. And if we're lucky, we might catch him doing some stuff with the Nurse," Sera fantasized.

"Sera, you're being weird, again…" Izol nervously backed away.

* * *

**Boomer's Cell**

"Ay', Mirage! Why we have to keep watch, gin'?!" Boomer asked, all the while checking for more guard patrol. "This sucks majah'. A gal like meh shouldn't be confine to dez steel walls. I gotta get some action!"

"And you will, just not right now," Mirage stated, sharpening his Night Slash against his claws. "We'll begin the second part of the plan when Izol and Sera gets back. Until then, we're just keeping watch in case some more guards are ordered to stop those two."

"But I already clobbered like twenty guards! I swear that Izol girl gets all the attention because you like her!" Boomer declared.

Mirage stopped, "That's not true. I can trust her more and she can pick locks. There isn't really much to it, than that."

"Stop lyin' to yaself."

**"I'M NOT LYING**!"

"You stalked 'er, followed 'er, listened to 'er sob stories, watched the night wit' 'er, and are helpin' 'er escape! What part of that isn't because you don't take a likin' to 'er?!" Boomer lectured.

"You act like you care so much about it! You couldn't possibly experience loss before, so don't tell me what's it's like for me! You can't understand me. You BARELY know me, Boomer. So why?!" Mirage angrily mouthed.

"It's because I do care!" Boomer revealed. That revelation slapped Mirage in his face. It definitely shut him up, but he couldn't help but wonder "Why". He stood still like an exposed ghost: motionless and without any words. The Clauncher sighed and scurried over to Mirage's frozen state. She placed her launcher on his leg and softly smiled, though there were pain behind it. "I care, Mirage. Look, I don't know what happened to ya' since you've been here, but I don't wish to know. But just from the looks of it…. ya' lost someone close to ya', didn't you?"

Mirage's eyes filled with sorrow. Was that really his reason? The reason why he'd even care in the first place? Thoughts filled his head of many people he had lost while here. But he could really only think of a single person. A Pokémon who had changed his perspective of the ruined world. He hesitantly managed to groan, his body curled and his black mane drooping down above his head, burying his head in his hands.

"Kaive…." he named. "It's her. She threw herself off the Main Deck and killed herself…."

"Mirage, I'm sorry 'bout that…" Boomer consoled.

"Maybe that's why I'm trying… maybe it's because Izol reminds me of her. Maybe it's because Izol reminds of my little sister. Maybe that's why I care. Izol reminds me of the only Pokémon I've ever passionately loved... Kaive." A singular tear drop fell from both of Mirage's eyes. "It's not that I'm in love with Izol, it's just that I refuse to witness another Pokémon suffer like Kaive did."

"Mirage... let me tell ya' something from a more experienced seadog like myself," Boomer made herself comfortable on Mirage's leg. "I lost people I loved too, all fifty-seven of em'. They gone now."

Mirage lifted his head, "They're dead? But… what happened? Was it a village or-"

"Ship. I was part of a nice pirate crew of the coast of Johto. The Crimson Buccaneers is what they called us. All I did was swab the decks and from time to time, go on raids. We had pretty good times, me and my mates. Then one day..." Boomer's vision became fuzzy and unclear. "There's this place in Hoenn, right? They say it housed a sleeping God. No one who had been there, came back to tell the tell." Boomer lied down on Mirage's lap, tears streaming down to her nose and on Mirage's leg. "We thought we'd be different. And you know what happened?"

"You all died?" Mirage guessed.

The Clauncher's lips curled and she nodded. "Yep. They all died. They all died at the hands of an unnatural storm. Nothing we'd ever see. When I woke up… I probably savaged more memories of what we used to be, than bodies. And after hours of crying and digging, I found the cap'n. He'd already croaked... and you know what, Mirage?"

"What?"

"I never got to tell any of em' goodbye. Never once did I tell 'em thanks for all the memories we held together. Not... even… once. And I still regret it," Boomer said.

Boomer's left claw latched to her red bandana. She lift it up proud for Mirage to see, "This here... this is the Cap'n's Crimson Buccaneer Bandana. I figured I'd live for all my mates and help those who were also goin' through troubles. Since it involved me stealin' from dem rich folk, the rich folk got their payback. They got in da' Council's ear and had me sent here."

"But aren't you back on the sea, like you always wanted to be?" Mirage asked, confused. "Why didn't you become a guard here? Wouldn't you have been happy that way?"

Boomer stared across the dark and unforgiving hallways outside the cell walls, "This may be a shipyard, but it ain't home. It'll never be home and I'll never be back home. My home. My family. My mates. All gone. Never to be the Crimson Buccaneers ever again…"

"I feel bad, Boomer, I really do. But what does this have to do with me?" Mirage still couldn't read between the lines and it's getting on Boomer's last nerves. Her launcher hardened in a blue life force. Once after, the Clauncher swung it across Mirage's face, essentially slapping him.

"For a handsome fella' like yaself, you stupid. What I'm saying is that you can't possibly tell me that I don't know what's it's like to lose someone I love!" She her launcher dangerously close to Mirage's eyes. "Don't you DARE tell me that I never experienced loss. In the Junkyard- no, in life- you either man up or die! **SO MAN UP AND TELL THOSE YA' CARE ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL**! Why the hell do you think Izol was mad at herself when she thought her mates died?"

"Because she never told them that she loved them," Mirage answered.

"And what was the first thing she told Sera when she saw him?!" Boomer drilled in.

Mirage knew the answer and maybe it's finally the call he needed to wake up, "That she... loved him."

"And when was the last time you told your sister that you love her?"

Mirage had no way to answer that question because the truth is that he never did tell her that he loved her. Never once. Boomer knew it, too. "Exactly. And tell me one more thing, Mirage: What regrets would you still have if I were to kill you dead right now?"

"That I never told Alice I loved her," Mirage finished.

"I won't repeat myself, again: If you have feelings for Izol, even if they are strictly platonic, tell her. Because it sure as hell may be the last time you ever see her," Boomer advised. "Death is a sudden thing, ya' know?"

Just like that, everything Mirage had been asking himself for all these trying years are finally being answered. His uncertainty became washed away like the waters which washed away Kaive…

* * *

**Main Deck, Junkyard**

"Mirage, I have a question. What will you do once we get out? What's your plan?" Kaive asked the lovestruck Mirage.

He shrugged, "I don't really know, Kaive. Once I find my sister, I want to settle down somewhere. I wanna retire from this mercenary business. I want to find the answers about the humans, the Council, the Phantasma, everything!" Mirage wrapped his arm around Kaive's purple shoulders. "And I want to do that with you."

Kaive giggled, leaving Mirage to frown, "What's so funny? I think it's a good plan."

The shiny Audino gave herself a moment to breath before she recomposed herself, feeling a wave of giddiness. She nodded her head against what Mirage said, "No, it's not that your plan is bad, it's just that I thought of a phrase that goes around in both The Council and the Phantasma Syndicate."

"And what's that?"

"The phrase goes something like this: 'Why is the last question that'll ever get answered'," Kaive quoted.

"What do you mean by that?" Mirage queried.

"I mean that it isn't as easy to find the answers you're looking for anymore. You can figure out the Whos, the Whats, the Whens, the Wheres, and even the Hows of every situation, but you can never seem to find the Whys, the purpose, behind what you're doing," Kaive explained. "Sometimes, the Whys of every situation don't come until years later. Your purpose for doing something may not come until much later. It makes you feel like you're going through the motions without any sort of purpose in life. Mirage… can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah, Kaive, what is it? I'll do anything for you!" Mirage cheesed, holding her tightly.

"Make sure that you find your Why. Find out why you do what you do, please?" Kaive requested.

Mirage poked at his mane with his bloody-red claws. "Uh…. yeah, sure. I'll find out why! Alright, Kaive, I have a question for you!"

"Mm-hmm."

Mirage stared across the expanse of the river set underneath the crystal clear stars and the crescent moon above. "Why do you enjoy the night so much?"

"Easy. I find it a mystery why most Pokémon would decide to spend this time lying in their nest, asleep. Sure, this world is ravaged and destroyed, but there was always that hope that something could be better tomorrow. Sometimes the end is never the end. And besides, the moon is SOOO much better than the sun."

"Nah, I like me some sunlight!" Mirage joked.

"Liar. You know night's better."

"Nuh-uh," the Zoroark rejected.

"Yeah-huh," Kaive said, getting closer to Mirage's face.

"Nuh-uh," Mirage returned Kaive's favor by getting close to her.

The two lovers' lips met with each other. A passionate and soft kiss. Nothing could take away from this experience from the two of them. Mirage held on to Kaive's hips and swayed with her body movements as she swayed with his. It's true love, in their definitions. Kaive finished first and backed her head from Mirage, opening her eyes but keeping her arms tugged around him.

"Mirage?"

"Yeah, babe."

"Let's start a family. Just you, me, Kain, and Alice, when we get out of here," Kaive wanted, blushing from her cheeks down.

"YEAH! I'd like that. Let's start a family. How many kids?" Mirage agreed.

"Just one. I don't think I can handle more than one," Kaive gave her count, pressing her head amongst the Zoroark's strong chest.

"If it's a boy, let's name him Ivory."

"And if she's a girl, let's name her Crystal."

"I love you."

_**"I love you, too."**_

* * *

Mirage brought himself to tears simply remembering what he had promised her that time back. He still yearned for that family he never had. But now he found his Why, and it's thanks to the Clauncher he had disregarded until now.

"Hey, you heard something?" a guard's voice outcries from the dark stretch of metal. Boomer made a Crabhammer ready to smack someone in the face.

"I'll be back, Mirage. Hang tight," Boomer ordered.

"Wait!"

Boomer stopped and turned around, "What is it?"

"Thanks."

"Ey' no problem!" Boomer accepted, crawling herself out of the cell doors. Boomer stared to the left and right of the hallway, then headed west. The two guards were simple and easy wins. She smacked the guard with a Crabhammer and he easily fell from the intense pressures of the water-based move. And that was Boomer's mistake.

"I knew you'd fall for the bait," a deep voice droned from behind her. "You didn't think you'd get the best of Brick, did you?!"

"Oh, _crap_." Boomer's eyes grew weary as the last thing she saw had been a fist encrusted in rock and dirt.

* * *

_Thus, everything comes around in a full circle. It lead Mirage to a state of discomfort and near death. He fell over the Sewage Hall's porthole, while he tried to search for where Boomer went off to. This is where everything went wrong._

"Man, I really thought you'd be a tough cookie to crack! Guess even da Shadow Mercenary loses to the Phantasma Syndicate. Which I find… interesting. To think that the great Mirage would resort to calling out for his useless friends. And you want to know what's funny?"

The man received zero response. He shrugged it off and continued.

"I find it funny that your sister, you know the one you failed to protect, is just chilling with the Phantasma. And it's really insulting that everyone sees us as the bad guys. Sure.. we do some questionable and ain't yo heroes in shinin' armor, but we just have a way of how we think the world should work. Of course… that does make us bad guys in The Council's eyes, right?"

_Silence._ Mirage wasn't dead; He's getting there, though.

"I guess you are right, maybe we are the bad guys. Makes you wish that you didn't leave your buddies behind to live on to the heroic day where all six of you guys would break out! Shame that three of them are in The Room, one's half dead, and the other two are simply oblivious to the other four! I find that funny!"

The questionable Pokémon sat down on a bed and cracked his neck. He pointed down at Mirage. "Here's the thing, though: I can't allow you to live. Nothing personal. But everything will be better off if you just took a long nap. What if the Shadow Mercenary, that regenerating swine of a Servine, and miss little 'Miracle Worker' in the Clinic all became part of the same gang of misfits as Yuhi, Leone, Lylie, and that Horatio?"

_No answers yet again._

"I'll tell what it will lead to.." the Pokémon bent down to Mirage's eye level. He had a smug, rough appearing look on his face. Mirage knew that face from the cafeteria. It was before he met Izol- when he was hidden away in the shadows. The smug face of a Granbull.

"It's gonna lead to a problem, Mirage. That's what it's gonna lead to. And if I didn't defuse the problem before it arises then you couldn't call me by my name. You couldn't call me by Corporal Zeff of the Phantasma Syndicate!"

"Screw you…. what did you do to Boomer?" Mirage hissed.

"She's in The Room, buddy boy. Brick sucker punched her!" Zeff proclaimed. "I wouldn't be worried 'bout it. You gon die in a little bit, anyways, so I'll just leave you here to rot." Zeff whistled away and took him and his bravado away from the dying Zoroark.

It's true, though. Mirage is on the verge of death, his vision becoming completely hazy and unrecognizable. His breathing thinned. I guess I'm going to finally join you again, Kaive. I hope I didn't keep you waiting…

* * *

_**The Room… 15 Minutes Later…**_

* * *

"Sir, Sergeant Artemis and her soldiers have arrived. They request that they see you for the scheduled maintenance check," a guard talks over to The Warden, whose hands were dirty from the activities he endowed himself in.

"Great, they came early. Fine then, let's go see what she's all about. You're coming with me to cover my ass in case they start asking me why my hands are soaked. Got it?"

"Of course, sir! Right this way, please!" a guard left The Room, escorting the Pokémon away from his current torturing routines. Sera stares at them as they became little drops in his view. Going…. Going... They're still going… When they disappeared, Sera gave a nod signal to Izol, prompting her to rush inside with a large, green bandana. The Quilava quickly followed behind.

They stepped inside The Room and it's just as they predicted: Three, live bodies hung over The Room in chains. All the bodies were recognized by Sera and Izol. "What the hell? So this is The Room, huh?"

"Izol, you're alive!" Kite greeted with happiness. "I'm so glad… do you think can…"

"Already on it, pal!" Sera jumped on Kite and scurried upwards to the metal chains. He huffed and blew a Flamethrower over the chains, melting them in a quick fashion. The chains bent from the searing, hot flames and snapped from the pressures, freeing the Flygon once more.

He flipped around in the air from sheer excitement, "Thanks, you two! Let's hurry up and free the other guys, too!"

The process of freeing the prisoners repeated for both Boomer and Kain, each waking up as they fell down to the ground hard. Boomer soothed her aching head from the devastating punch she just suffered. "Thanks, mate. Big ol' bloat knocked me out! At least we ain't dead!"

"I wish the same could be said about the Butterfree," Kain acknowledged. All five of them turned to the metallic death bed which Nex lays. His wings had been mercilessly ripped from his body, one of his eyes popped from its sockets and he's missing a few limbs from head to toe. He coughed up a big blob of blood.

"You… came to… save them," Nex moaned in pain. He started to cry, "I-I'm so glad. You guys can do anything..."

"It's okay, Nex, we're right here with you til the bitter end!" Boomer comforted with a happy glance. Kain turned away from the scene, deeming the scene to horrific for her eyes to witness. Nex noticed the Pokémon that had been standing there, the entire time. His beaten face lit up, but it only made everyone more sad.

"Y-y-y-you're the-" A shot of blood and coughing interrupted Nex's gratitude, "Your that Sneasel who talked back to The Warden, aren't you?"

"Yeah… I am," Izol blushed.

"You're amazing. I didn't think anyone's bold…. bold enough to say something… but you did and gave so many more people hope for it," Nex breathed out. "Are the Quilava and the Flgyon you're friends?" Izol, Sera, and Kite nodded in return. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Whatever you say, man, we're here for you," Sera assured. Nex forced up more disgusting blood.

"Can you give everyone some hope? When you leave, will you please help everyone you can?" Nex gave his final request, with a soft plea in his eye.

"I'll make sure that I help anyone I can," Izol promised.

"You really are awesome… I'm so glad that you'll live on my dream… Thank You…" As Nex made out those last words, his heart beat stopped and his breath halted. In his final breath, Nex felt a wave of hope surge through him by the three Pokémon who came to the rescue. The Butterfree died scared, yes, but he died knowing he passed his baton to another. Tears filled the five Pokémon eyes. Boomer bowed her head and began to pray.

"Arceus, please dispel your light onto this poor Butterfree with a passionate dream. Let his life force remain eternal in the heavens above, for you are the Alpha and your hands shall caress him forever more." When she was done praying, the Clauncher opened her eyes.

"I did warn you, right, you three?"

Izol became immediately alarmed hearing that voice, taking enough precaution to step back. She couldn't have timed herself any better, "I guess you are right, Saki, I really shouldn't have expected things to go our way, huh?"

A Plusle stepped inside the room, one red stub after the other. "But I'll have to admit to one thing, I'm glad I let Skylar convince me to send you three to this place. I thought I'd only be able to change the mindset of three, but it turns out I ended up changing six!"

Sera counted the people in The Room, "There's only five of us in this place. Are you sure you're counting right?"

A Nidorina came in with a Zoroark dragging away at her feet, "Sorry! This guy's pretty heavy! He has a hole in his stomach and losing blood fast."

**"MIRAGE!**" All five of the them shouted at once.

"Hey... guys… I'm happy I'd get to see you five one last time before I die," Mirage groaned. Sera and Izol stared into each other eyes, sharing the same thoughts. Then, they both laughed. They laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed, everyone, even Saki, confused about what the hell's going on. "I'm dying and all you can do is laugh…"

Sera flicked a happy tear from his eyelids, "You're not dying. Trust me."

"I'm confused," Saki admitted.

"Me too," Quota followed.

"Well… we went to the Clinic and no one was there, so we assumed that something went wrong. So, we took Kite's bandana and filled with as much of Kain's tools as possible, then looked for you guys. Izol assumed that you were in The Room, so that's where we went to first," Sera explained, holding out the tool-stuffed bandana to Kain, rolling his eyes. "Stop staring at me like that! Are you gonna fix Mirage up or what?"

Kain snatched the bag from Sera's hand and pecked him on his cheek, causing Kite to frown in jealously. "Thanks, Sera, that's very thoughtful of you!" Kain promptly ravaged through her tools and began to heal Mirage.

Sera blushed, holding the back of his neck, "It's no biggie. By the way, where's The Warden?"

"Right here," another Pokémon, a Scizor, showed up, dragging the Pangoro along by his neck. "So, The Room does exist! I didn't see that coming, although I completely did!" She pandered down at the wounded Zoroark, "Long time, no see, Shadow Mercenary. You're still alive?"

"It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that much…" Mirage greeted her.

"How's the mate? How's Kaive?"

"Dead."

The Scizor frowned, "Did he have anything to do with it?!"

Artemis slammed the Pangoro against the wall, then proceeded to let him go. "Start explaining because the odds of you living are slim to none."

"Well… what had happened was…"

"Out of time. And I don't believe you." Artemis shoved her steel foot in The Warden's face. "Do you know who I am?"

"Sergeant Artemis, the 'Honor-Bound Solider', ma'am…" the Warden answered.

"Correct. But, I don't give my sympathy to monsters, and you are a monster. My maintenance check is the simple objective of seeing if this so-called 'Room' existed. I'm very disappointed to see that it does. You know what's coming next, don't you?"

"Yes, ma'am," the Warden sniffed. Artemis lifted her feet from his face and began to walk away.

"Woah, she's pretty scary…" Izol said, intimidated.

"Yeah, you haven't seen anything, yet. There's a reason why she's Sergeant and I'm Corporal," Saki stated, crossing her arms.

"WAIT!" another Pokémon, a Vaporeon, came rushing into The Room. "Sorry, I did what you asked and had to clean up this huge streak of blood! It was really really gross."

Mirage raised his hand, "Sorry, that was my blood. I'm getting that taken of right now."

Kain waved her Heal Pulse hand at the Vaporeon, "Hai!"

"Kaia, you did what I asked you to?" Artemis asked.

Kaia nodded her head, "Yes, ma'am! Stone and Brick are both dead! Just like you requested! I also cleaned up a lot of blood, Sergeant!" Artemis bent down to Kaia's level and patted her on her cute, dainty head.

"Good job, Kaia! Can't expect less efficiency from my personal assistant."

"**DIE!**" The Warden made one last, ditch effort to eradicate the Sergeant. However... that was his _final_ and most foolish mistake.

_***WHACK***_ Kite struck the Pangoro solely in his jaw and neck. Kite's Dragon Claw is not only powerful, but deadly. The Warden fell backwards, striking the wall, once more and sliding down, breaking a few bones in his skull while he was at it. The Pangoro fell unconscious in The Room he cherished so much.

"That really wasn't necessary, Kite," Artemis snickered.

"Sorry, I really wanted to punch him in his face. Can't blame me for that, can you?" Kite giggled.

_Everyone in The Room agreed._

* * *

_**The Next Morning… 0600 Hours**_

* * *

**Main Deck, Junkyard**

"Corporal Frank, a.k.a The Warden, you have been charged for the hundreds of accounts for murder, manslaughter, rape, unlawful torture, multiple violations of The Council's Universal Rights, unethical use of budget given by The Council, unsafe tampering with the environment, and the selling of military secrets to undisclosed third parties. For these crimes, you have been sentenced to death. Any final words you would like to make beforehand? Speak now or never."

The words of Artemis had been spoken. The crowd patiently awaits the last moments of his life. Anxious, they all were. Their entire prisoner lives had led to this very moment. Frank had his knees bent down and his body abused. There is nothing left for him to do. "Do you have nothing to say?"

Corporal Frank nodded, "No, ma'am."

Artemis stared behind at Izol, Sera, Kite, Boomer, Saki, Quota, Kaia, Mirage, and Kain, but more specifically at Mirage. She made a soft grin, "Mirage, do you want to handle this execution? It's only fair that you, someone who had been grieved by this guy the longest, has the honor of ending his life. Don't do this for them, do it for Kaive..."

Mirage gripped the bandages around his stomach, "I'll do it. This is the only way it could possibly end right."

The Zoroark stepped forward, a fierce glimmer in his eye, the blowing winds tickling his mane. "I think I'm going to enjoy this too much. Frank, you understand that I'm doing this to avenge my mate, the one I'm supposed to have a family with, correct?"

"Rot in _hell_…"

"You, first! When you see Giratina, tell 'em that the Shadow Mercenary sent ya'!" Mirage lifted his Night Slash and allowed it to sparkle in the rising dawn. For that second, Mirage saw the distress and utter defeated look on his face. Even after all of his crimes, he couldn't help but see himself killing a child, a brat who loses their temper when you take away their toys. And then Mirage remembered everything, how much hate he had for him, how much murder he caused, how he slave drove everyone in this hellhole. And then he remembered one, last thing…

_"Maybe you might surprise us by **joining** the Black Thorns when you get out of this hellhole. Hopefully, you'll find your sis by then. And hopefully, you won't be dead by then! Simple enough?"_

It hit him as his blade rushed down. His business has yet to be done. He still needs information. He still needs to protect Kain. Find his sister. He still hasn't found all his answers. The Warden is only the first of many. And there's a pile of bodies with his name on it, if he wanted Alice back.

_When I see you, Alice, I promise I'll tell you... **I love you.**_

_***SLASH***_ A single cut. What came next is actually very simple. The Warden's head fell from his body and the rest of him followed. No more fighting. No more killings. No more torture. He's dead… he's finally dead.

_"ENCORE!"_

Mirage knew exactly what the people wanted. He grabbed ahold the Pangoro's head and lifted up in the air, "**LONG LIVE THE WARDEN!"**

_Every prisoner cheered._ Not only did they cheer for the death of The Warden, but the implications that meant for the future of the Junkies. But for now, everyone could celebrate. A tyrant died today and boy, did his blood smell marvelous.

While Mirage indulged himself in Frank's death, Artemis turned to the others, "Isn't this nice, you three?" Everyone knew the three Artemis were referring to.

Izol smiled, "Yeah, it feels great. I wish it could be like this everyday. Seeing everyone so happy and stuff."

Sera followed behind, "I haven't been around people this happy since the Pokémon Mansion. That's one perk of the job, I guess."

"You could say it's a good reason why we did what we did," Kite explained.

"So why should you have to settle for less? Even for you, Boomer. You guys really shouldn't settle for anything less than extraordinary," Saki expressed, showing subtle signs of her own happiness to the cheers.

Boomer raised an eyebrow, "excuse me, mate? What ya' gettin' at?"

"Yeah… I'm not following, either," Kite said after much needed thought.

"I want to give you four a choice. This doesn't applies to you, Kain," Artemis proclaimed. Izol, Sera, and Kite all nodded, answering her question for her. "Alright, Saki, let's see it!"

Saki dug in her bandana around her neck and pulled out a shiny wing of many different colors. The very same wing that alluded them over these past, few days: the Rainbow Wing. Artemis smiled at the three Pokémon, "Here's your choice: You can take this Rainbow Wing and do with it as you please, since you more than earned my trust for it OR you four can fill up some of my empty spots at Liberty Base!"

"WAIT, you're letting THEM fill the holes for me and Keegan?!" Saki shrieked. "Please, think about this for a second. Are we really going to let thieves in our base?"

"If you don't like it, then don't you become Sergeant and change it?" Artemis challenged sarcastically.

"We'll take the second one!" Izol said for all three of them.

"THINK ABOUT IT! YOU VERY WELL MIGHT DIE! THIEVES CANNOT HANDLE THE PRESSURES OF WAR!" Saki frantically tried to reconvince.

"Are you sure about this, you four? There's no going back, once you say yes."

"Uh-huh," Izol confirmed.

"Why not?" Sera shrugged.

"If it means we get to help even more people," Kite elaborated.

"Yeah… what those three said!" Boomer coped out.

"Then it's settled then!" Quota leaped in excitement. "We haven't had new recruits in a while, I can't wait for y'all guys to meet everyone!"

"Don't encourage them, Quota!" Saki yelped.

"It's going to be so much fun!" Kaia told the four new recruits.

Kite turned to the Audino, feeling more nervous than he did when he first arrived. "Uh.. thanks for helping me. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead." He avoided eye contact and kept it a calm demeanor.

Kain did the same, holding her left arm and scratching her nonexistent goosebumps. "No problem. I'll miss you. Thanks for everything. Make sure you always read when you can… humans think of pretty cool stories and inventions."

"OH MY ARCEUS, JUST HUG ALREADY! WE ALL KNOW IT'S COMING!" Sera shouted.

Kain and Kite latched on to each other like glue. Both are sobbing on each others backs. "I'M GOING TO MISS YOU SO MUCH! YOU'RE THE BEST HEALER EVER ON THE FACE OF THIS WORLD!"

"I'LL MISS YOU MORE! YOU'RE THE KINDEST PATIENT EVER ON THE FACE OF THIS WORLD!" Kain cried in his arms.

"OH MY ARCEUS, YOU TWO ARE SO DRAMATIC!" Sera yelled.

Izol gazed into Mirage's blue eyes, as Mirage stared into her golden eyes. Izol began, "So, loser, how's it gonna be when I'm gone?"

"Shut up. There's actually something I want to tell you," Mirage said, blushing. All of a sudden, he hugged the pink and black Sneasel and caressed her golden feathers, "Thank you, Izol. It may not be romantic, but I love you a lot. Thank you for everything. Please, never change for anybody."

"If you feel that strongly about it, how about we promise to see each other, someday?" Izol suggested.

"Alright, then, let's shake on it!" Mirage held out his palm, to the expense that Izol became flustered.

"Shake… hands?"

"Here." Mirage pressed his palm against Izol's own. "It was a human tradition to greet others with a firm handshake." Mirage forced both his and Izol's forearms to swing in an up and down motion. "It means you can trust me. Anything good that happens between two strangers in the future starts with a handshake. We are now bound to the fate of many bonds."

Izol smiled, "It's weird, but I think I like it. I'll see you around, Mirage. I hope you find your sister. No, I **KNOW** you'll find your sister."

"Are you finished, Izol?" Artemis checked.

"Just about," Izol smirked. She pecked her soft lips against Mirage's cheek. "You're sweet, Mirage, don't let anyone tell you different. And who knows, I may have to kill you one of these days."

"Come on, Izol! I'm starving! Haven't eaten in days!" Sera rushed.

"Okay, okay. Let's bounce. I need actual food this time," Izol necessitated as she walked away with the other members of Liberty Base- both new and old.

"Me too, I ain't eat good food in years!" Boomer's stomach grumbled.

"Oh, and by the way…" Artemis turned herself around, "You two can leave this prison. Tell the Lanturns you have my permission. Try not to come back!" Mirage and Kain shook. They could not believe it. The Audino and Zoroark silently cheered to themselves. And once they were done cheering and jumping...

_**They were the only ones on the Main Deck.**_

* * *

"Hey, is anyone there… we're still stuck in this closet. Anyone…. okay…. We'll just wait. I might have to eat you Box…"

**"WHY ME?!"**

"You're the only other one here and I can't starve to death."

"**AHHHHHH…** fine…. but be gentle. Don't bite down too hard, okay?"

* * *

_**Cooperation**: The simple key to success. There are many ways to solve a problem, but not all problems can be solved by one person. Cooperation is how we get advances in technological, architectural, and scientific achievement. But it is the very cause of war and raids and all those horrible things. Cooperation is the most wonderful and potentially the scariest thing alive. And that's why I love it!_

_Truly yours and forever until the end of time,_

**_A._**

* * *

**Season I, Arc I: A Junkyard Full of Secrets END**

* * *

_**Slash's Footnote:**_

**HOLY CRAP! I never thought I'd finish this. By far my best piece of work so far. 10k, just as promised. And that concludes The Junkyard Arc. Thanks to all who has been patient with me and thanks to all who submitted. I need a small break from this story. And to think, I'm JUST getting started. Whatever, now on to the good stuff!**

**QOTC: Favorite moment of The Junkyard Arc (A Junkyard Full of Secrets)?**

_**Review Replies:**_

**OPFan37: Trust me, I'm glad it's over too. I can finally start writing more on the factions and what this story is truly about. And I believe you meant Black Thorns XD**

**Ckbrothers: I wonder if we'll see Zeff again. He is Phantasma after all (hint-hint). And you pretty much hit the nail on ONE of your guesses.**

**Antex- The Legendary Zoroark: You know what they say, "Why" is the last thing that ever gets answered!**

**Error 16: They take their prisoners from the arrest site. Hence why it took longer this time.**

**Keldeo352: He made it! Wow! What a plot twist. He still has unsettled business to be dying so soon. At least he's the one who killed The Warden, amirite?**


	19. Interlude: Like Day, Like Night

**"Like Day, Like Night"**

_**Hello darling, it's truly been a while, hasn't it?**_

_I see that you have no common decency of privacy._

**_I see that you still decide to ignore the problems right in front of you._**

_Are you simply here to mock me?_

**_Actually, quite the opposite. I came here to talk._**

_What does Sol have to talk about?_

**_I wanted to see if you would open your eyes to the problems right in front of you. It is unbecoming to see a woman of high stature fall prey to ignorance._**

_Mind me, but it's safe to assume that we have different viewpoints about the world._

_**And that's the problem**._

**_You see, for all these centuries, we creatures lived and died. However, we retained our memories. Not once have we decided to cooperate on matters._**

_Because your version of cooperation includes using disgusting means to leverage matters in your favor. You have no problem sacrificing in order to get what you want._

**_Are you still pestered by my actions in our last lives?_**

_You used her against me. I've made the realization that you simply wanted power, but the lengths at which you tried to obtain them were unforgivable._

_And that is where I drew the line._

**_So the short answer is yes?_**

_Correct._

_**Before you decide to ignore me, hear me out… just for this once**._

_…_

_Go on. Consider this the only exception._

**_Think about the world we live in._**

**_We currently live in an age without humans. Where Pokémon have become the dominant species. This is the world we live in at this very moment._**

**_Now compare it to when humans were first conceived as a dominating species. They were once a species who were naturally gifted in Aura, something that we were barely above._**

**_Notice how that evolutionary lineage devolved humans into species whom required Pokémon to achieve their greatest feats. Notice how humans began to fight amongst each other over trivial matter such as frugal waste like Champion positions and demi-gods they retconned as "Legendary" Pokémon. Now notice that these humans, beings of near divinity whom allowed themselves to grow lazy and cloud their judgement with war, are now extinct._**

**_They tainted the world, and thus they were repaid kindly._**

_Perhaps humans were a more peaceful species during their rise. A steady rise is always birthed by a swift and rapid decline. Humans had their time. Extinction for any species is inevitable._

**_But must our world suffer for it? Must we stay out of these affairs?_**

_Of course, it is not in our line of duty to toy with the world. It was Mother's dying wish._

**_Then what are you doing? Is it not intervention on its grandest scale?_**

_…So you know…_

**_The all-powerful Luna even sees the problems with this world too, now doesn't she? A once standup woman with powers akin to Mother allowed her trusted way of thinking to be manipulated and shifted by a human, no less! You are as much to blame with the extinction of humans as those fools in that damned academy!_**

_Stop right there! Those people have nothing to do with this. Besides, you tampered as much as I did. I won't forget what you did. What you put me through. What you put everyone on that island through for your self-centered goals of conquer._

**_Says the Pokémon walking in the skin of their mistakes._**

_I did not choose this body._

**_And who did, hmm?_**

_.…_

**_Exactly. And Luna dear, I did not choose my course of actions for conquer, I did it wipe the slate clean._**

**_Think about it- Pokémon are devolving as a species, not evolving! They are being fixated on the turmoil of war and chaos. My way of thinking is absolutely sublime. Perfect in it's reasoning; Eliminate the problem before it arrives. It's as easy as cooperating with my efforts. With our two life forces combined, the threat is gone._**

_Do you honestly think that I will ever work with the likes of you?_

**_Not now, no. But you will see the method to my madness one of these days. Of course, you can continue alluding the masses by convincing them that you encountered the same minimal troubles as they have. One of these days, I will show up and eclipse this world in a bubble of the mysterious crescent moon and the hopeful, white sun. Only then when this world will truly become something beautiful again._**

_Sol, don't cross me. There is a reason I am who I am today._

_**You must truly be desperate if you are threatening me with raw power. Don't group me with those petty humans**._

_Shall you listen to my reasoning in return of my kindness?_

**_Why yes, Debates and Philosophy is one of the few things I'm greatful the humans left behind for us._**

_We Pokémon play a different set of rules. We carry our own ambitions and our own dreams. However, roadblocks are hurdles that we will jump over at any cost. In order to contain the chaos that ensues, a world must have the right leader to pave the roadway. This world doesn't need a hard reset. It only needs the right person to lead it. Even if it means that good people are hurt, it will spell a bright future for all of us._

_Forcing us to rebuild our lineage is devolution itself. In no way, shape, or form will we evolve as long as we stop moving forward._

_How about a little wager, Sol? For old times sake. Let's see who's viewpoint is better._

_If my point of view doesn't change the world for the better, then I'll submit to your method. If not, then you relinquish your divinity to me._

**_Consider this wager on, Luna. I'll play your little game. Just know that I will come out victorious!_**

_Keep talking as a God while you still can. I want to see your face when your ideology comes crashing down on your head._

**_Oh, I'll keep talking. And I will talk and talk and talk until the wager ends and I claim my prize. After all…_**

**_The game of night and day has already begun._**


	20. Chapter 12: Liberty Base

_**A/N:** Welcome to the three days of evolution! For three days, I'll post one chapter a day. Tomorrow, it'll be the Post-Extinction! Then after that, it'll be Chapter 13. Breaks's over, so let's go over a few things on my checklist. At least 6k words? Check. Reviewer requests for more of the army? Check. Foreshadowing? Check. New cover art for the story? Check. A calmer tone since the beginning of the book. Check. All of that six days earlier? Check and Check. So, are you ready to get started with the new arc? With all of that said... **ENJOY :)**_

* * *

_Where am I?_

Izol stared at her pink palms. She gracefully rotated them for good measure. I'm still alive, that's for sure. The Sneasel gave a good examination of her current surroundings. Everything's in its place in Aquacorde Town. The markets, the bridge- everything was in its place. The kids were playing and the adults were buying food and human junk.

The sky above is a beautiful, orange sunset. The sunlight's horizon continually fell for the soon to be nighttime.

_I'm in Aquacorde Town, that's for sure._

One question's answered. Little by little, her subconscious pieced together the city she grew fond of. Izol can hear the playful banters of hundreds of children, hear the sophisticated talk of the grownups, and her own mind at an ease. Something wasn't right, though.

Izol turned herself completely around. She knew it. Sera and Kite were not there beside her. She's alone. She's completely alone. Or at least, she's without her friends. Maybe they were hanging out with Professor Fickle. Maybe I'm supposed to be buying something for them.

_**But you don't have any money.**_

That wasn't her own thinking.

"Who said that?!" Izol questioned out loud.

_**I did. Or… you said it. I'm in your head.**_

Izol tried again to see if it had been someone messing with her from behind. Not a single person was behind her. In fact, every single Pokémon disappeared from the city. Everyone went poof and dropped from the face of the world like magic. Izol scratched her head.

"Alright, creepy voice in my head. Who are you?"

The voice cleared its throat, as if it had one, and began again in a feminine, sarcastic, and slightly pitched banter. Almost identical to that of Izol's.

_**Shouldn't you already know that?**_!

"No. I really don't. Just answer the question."

_**Well... I thought you would know. That's why I came to you for it. So we both don't know, huh?**_

"Both don't know what?"

_**Our identities**_.

Izol remarked, "Speak for yourself! I know who I am. I'm Izol and I'm a Sneasel."

_**Are you really a Sneasel?**_

Izol frowned and murmured, "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

_**I mean, I know as much as you do. I mean… In all of my life, I don't remember being a Pokémon.**_

"What are you, a human?!"

_**Yep… Imma human**_!

That couldn't have been true, thought Izol. Aren't humans extinct? Or am I going crazy? Izol shouted in a mild rage, "Humans don't exist! Stop playing mind games and tell me who the hell you are!"

_**Okay. My name is Izol and I'm a human. But you... you're a monster.**_

"That's not your name because that's my name!" Izol shouted, contemplating on the third thing she said, checking out her own body before shaking her fists in the air, "Who the hell are you calling a monster?!"

_**I think it's right to call someone who helped kill the humans a monster.**_

Izol froze, her eyes flushed and her body unmoving. Her arm began to twitch. Soon, it was her legs. Then, her entire body had shaken in shock and in fear from herself. Her voice rasped and mumbled, "What do you mean? You're trying to tell me that I killed the humans?!"

_**Uh-huh. That's what I'm getting at. Even I knew that and I don't know anything. So I'll ask you again, we both don't know, do we?**_

Izol shook her head, "Apparently not. So who am I?"

_**I don't know. The more you help me, the more you'll be helping yourself in the long run. Soo… let's make a deal! Help me remember my real name! If you do that, then I'll tell you everything about your past. I promise.**_

"Uh… I guess. Doesn't sound too hard. What do I need to do?"

_**You can start by finding someone who wants to understand human nature and give them their answers.**_

"What do I do after that?!"

_**Sorry, but we don't have much time. Look**_.

Izol did as she was told and focused on the vicinity of Aquacorde Town as a strange occurrence began. A blizzard creeped from the patted brick and rose up to the sky. Snowflakes started to fall, one by one, as the once peaceful Aquacorde Town became enveloped in a sheet of ice. All the building, stands, and even the sky is now clothed in thick, blue crystal. When it finished..

Aquacorde Town was merely a frozen dome of a prison.

The Sneasel wiped her eyes from the sheet of snow. When her golden eyes twinkled, she saw a white and purple cloak of ice. A sole phantom stood across from Izol. This Pokémon had a purple and red ribbon tied across her waist, her arms were a mixture of both grey and pearl. She radiated like the snow itself.

It's a Froslass. _What's she doing here? Did she freeze the entire city?_ Izol questioned herself.

"Hey, voice in my head, who's this chick?"

There was no answer this time around.

"Hey, stop ignoring me and answer me!" Izol shouted to the heavens.

_**I have to leave, sorry. When we meet again, I need you to answer me a question.**_

The Froslass called to her with a chilly and calm voice. But her message was anything but calm, "Izol… or whatever you want to be called by, I'm sorry that it has to be this way. But for my dream of a world without strife to come to fruition…"

The Froslass formed a sharp icicle and grasped it under her silky skin.

Izol raised her voice, "What's the question?!"

_**How much do you really know about human nature?**_

Izol couldn't piece anything together. She gave a tired look and mumbled, "…what…?"

The Froslass pulled back her ice shank, "Your past, present, and future ends now!"

"…_what does that mean_...?" Izol whispered.

A swing of her hand propelled the icicle around her hand towards Izol at a blinding speed. Izol couldn't think for herself fast enough…

Therefore, the icicle jabbed Izol between the eyes. The last things Izol witnessed were the Froslass, the heavy snow, and the blood draining from her head.

The light from her sight faded white, managing her final breath.

* * *

_After God sacrificed his grand divinity for a child_  
_He imparted to this sole daughter a power_  
_A tool which would bring new life out of nothing._

**_Life Spirits._**

_A gift of life which eternally binds us_  
_Of Sixteen varieties_  
_Of Sixteen types_  
_The very energy of all beings._

_A being's very essence_  
_Their very soul_  
_That outweighs the passage of both life and death_  
_And are continually recycled._

_Separate and fragile they are not_  
_But limitless and connected they are._

_**Life Spirits**._

_Those who are connected by both body and soul_  
_Whose spirits are untamed and compatible_  
_A power that is granted_  
_One feared by even the gods themselves._

_These are the elements of unfathomable power_  
_Power which remains untapped_  
_Untapped potential which remains in dormancy_  
_Dormancy which needs to be eradicated_

_To make the impossible_  
_Possible._

_And forever seal their fates for eternity!_

_\- **Alpha Prognostics**, "Life" 2:12-21_

* * *

**"Season I, Arc II: From Thieves To Soldiers"**

Izol jumped out of the ground with a shriek and a gasp of air. She pressed the left side of her chest. Her heart is racing. The sweat palpitates from her face and slides down to cool the rest of her body down. She never felt more alive and more dead than ever before. She tested herself.

She shimmied her black legs.

She cracked her small neck.

She rolled her golden pupils.

_I'm alive_, she tells herself. She stares back at her feet. _That's some dream, though._

Izol found that her two friends were staring at her in odd ways. Sera spoke out, first, "You doing alright?"

"Uh… yeah, I'm fine. It was just a nightmare," Izol told the Quilava, rubbing her head. _What if this is still part of the dream,_ she asked herself. Izol sat upright and folded her arms behind her head. She made a small frown before she turned to her left asked Kite, "Can you tell me what happened yesterday?"

Kite poked out his chin and rubbed it, "We were at The Junkyard and those guys came in and busted The Warden, or well… Frank. Then, Mirage executed him and we left the prison. Right now, we're heading to their base." The Flygon tried to smile, but it only came out in an insincere manner. "Is that good enough?"

"That's fine," Izol said. The Sneasel observed her surroundings. _So I'm really not in a dream anymore_. She felt the soft fat of a large, blue Pokémon. Looking downwards, all there was to see had been the world as the size of ants. The breeze tickled her skin in such a way that she could laugh. Izol checked out the spacious back of the Mantine and found Sera, Saki, Quota, and Kaia. Artemis is riding on the back of Kite, close by to their left.

She couldn't keep her mouth shut for long, "What happened to Boomer?"

Saki turned around and addressed her, "There were only three spots remaining for our base. Boomer volunteered to be transferred to Sergeant Raine. She's fine, though. Boomer gave you her best regards and her thanks for everything involving The Junkyard."

"Oh," Izol said, yawning. _I didn't even get to say goodbye to her. I hope she's doing alright.… wherever she is._

"We're almost there," Artemis broke out.

"REALLY?!" Sera's tried face blew up and scurried over to the edge of the Mantine. He bent himself over the Mantine and observed beyond the horizon. What sat below their vision is a small, comfy island furnished in green plants and colorful flowers. Surrounding this cozy garden flowed the bluest waters Sera had seen in his short life. The seas danced and the grassy field beyond were stuffed with life. What really took the cake had been the building which rested on the island garden. When Izol stared in awe, she felt her heart race with excitement. _We're going to stay there?! If I wasn't convinced before, I am now!_

This awe-inspiring piece of architecture is a mighty building of gray stone that filled up a lot of the space that the simple island could stand. It's a mansion of a glorious caliber. This is where we're going to stay. Nothing about that's gonna change. Sera foamed at the mouth and mumbled, "Pinch me, I must be dreaming…"

Izol, with a mischievous stare in her eyes, poked Sera with her sharp nail.

"OUCH!" Sera screeched, tending to the small hole on his side.

"I guess you ain't dreamin', aren't you?" Quota mocked.

The Vaporeon squinted at the injury Izol gave Sera. A small drop of blood ran down the Quilava's body, staining the Mantine. Kaia crawled over to the Quilava in a hurry. Her nose nuzzles against Sera's body, "Are you okay?!"

Sera's face became pink as the Vaporeon rubbed her nose all over his blood spot. "No, it really is fine. It's not that big of a deal."

Kaia filled her cheeks with tiny amounts of fluids. She gurgled and managed to speak, "Here, let me rub some water on your wound!"

Sera jumped out of his skin and scurried back. He had a racing heartbeat, a nervous smile, and sweat. "No, it's fine! It'll heal on its own! Thanks anyways!""

"What if it gets infected? I can at least wash away the dirt," Kaia suggested.

Izol skimmed her claws across her stomach and chest, "Sera's afraid of water, Kaia. He won't let you in a million years."

"That's definitely interesting," Saki said.

"Really? I know it's an elemental disadvantage, but that's pansy as hell," Quota stated. _Finally! Someone gets it! I thought I was the only one._

"That's what I've been trying to tell him this whole time, but no one listens to Izol!" she happily agreed.

"Quilavas and water don't mix. I can hate it all I want!" Sera objected, blushing. A spurt of flames shot from his cavities. Each flame got washed away as it tipped on the Mantine's backside.

Kite giggled before speaking up again, "You should've seen his face when Kain had to give him bath."

The Scizor laughed to herself. She directed her gaze at the Quilava, "Oh, I'm pretty sure you didn't enjoy that. How long did she dunk you in? It couldn't have been that long or you would've been dead."

"SHUT UP!" Sera snapped. The Pokémon He aimed right back at Kite, "What about you and Kain, if we're on the subject."

"Wait, what?" Kite asked with a flushed expression.

"You heard em'," Quota implied. She smirked, "I noticed that thing you guys got goin' on."

"At first glance, you wouldn't that take this Flygon to be anything more than a kindhearted gentleman, but then you realize he's actually a mate-magnet," Saki explained with a straight face.

Kite's began blushing, "You too?"

"Don't think we didn't notice," Izol stated. "Especially me. I totally noticed and I hadn't seen for three days." A playful tear dripped down her face, "My little Kite's growing up on me!"

Kite shook his head around. His voice became a bit throaty and high-pitched, "It's nothing like that! She was a my nurse

"It's pretty cute!" Kaia piped up. "You and Kain make a really good couple!"

As Kite's face plumped an interesting shade of pink, the wings on his back stopped working for a brief second. The startled Artemis grasped tighter around the Flygon as he ascended back on eye level with the Mantine, "It's nothing like that, I swear! She's just a good healer, that's all."

"Why bother lying if you aren't even good at it?" said an unimpressed Saki.

"Come on! That's so much bullshit that I can taste it!" Quota denied him.

Kite's voice cracked making out his next words, "I promise! Kain and I are just friends!"

The shiny and normal Sneasel decided that she would lay on her stomach.

"Friends with some extra benefits, hmmm….?" Izol teased, tapping her toes.

Kite decided he'd stay silent. Sera crossed his arms and continued his uncomfortable teasing. This time, he tailored it specifically at Izol. "What about you and Mirage, Izol? Don't think we forgot about you!"

Izol had no words. "Uhh…." she dragged. The Razor Claw Pokémon attempted to play innocent with her fake baby face, "Mirage? What about him?"

"You know what I'm saying," Sera lead on.

Izol's pupils shrunk and veered over to the right side of her head. "No idea… who's Mirage? Sounds like a pretty neat guy. Boy, I do wish I knew who this Mirage feller was."

Kite began singing in an immaturely high pitch, "Izol has a crush. Izol has a crush. Izol has a crush. Izol has a crush."

Izol plugged her ears and closed her eyes, "Nope. Not hearing it, Kite."

The sound of drowning all other sounds except for her got worse as the entire crew in the sky started opening their mouths in high pitched, collective singing. Blood shot up from her weak legs, ran chills through her back, made her stomach feel queasy, and ultimately roseied her cheeks. "Stop!"

Izol unplugged her ears when the choir of teasers stopped teasing her.

"I don't have a crush. You guys are crazy. Mirage is the one that likes me, anyways," Izol defended.

Artemis spoke up, "In that case, let's draw a picture. If the Shadow Mercenary were to show up and ask for you two to mate, you would tell him that he only likes you and you don't like him?"

"Yep. That's what I would say," Izol affirmed, although her eyes were staring off somewhere that definitely wasn't in the direction of the other Pokémon.

Sera squinted at the gold glint coming from the Sneasel's eye. He could even see the small hint of sweat drop from her forehead. "Liar," he murmured.

Suddenly, their ride took a screeching halt, keeping them suspended in midair. The gentle waves of the wind and the feeling of little pressure exerting on their bodies told them that whatever they were headed to is just in reach. Izol smiled and rubbed her hands together like she had recently smothered them with soap. _We're here! We're finally here_, she thought.

"We're arriving, Sergeant Artemis. I'm going to descend now," the Mantine told.

* * *

**Liberty Garden**

_Everything starts with one step_.

Izol and Sera felt more nervous than excited to step off the Mantine's back. They were just above ground level yet something about the way the grass looked and how clean everything is that put them in an unease. Izol's stomach gurgled under her own pressures, mounting upon the queasiness she had felt on the other parts of her body.

A tight grasp squeezed around Izol's paw. This hand heated her pink paw as if she were wearing a cozy glove.

Before her reaction mediated her to the Pokémon holding her hand, Sera whispered between them, "Once we step off here, we're stuck here. This is it."

Sera could feel Izol's concerns and worries bounce off in small shakes. Izol whispered back, "I know. But are we really cut out for something like this?"

"Hey, as long as we're in this together, I'm pretty sure we can do anything." Sera's kind eyes motioned towards Izol. He grinned. "After all, we made it this far, didn't we?"

Izol nodded, "Yeah, I guess we did, huh?" She closed her eyes and thought about it. When she opened her eyes, a small spark sprinkled over her. Her excited nature popped Sera on his shoulder and leaped off the back of the Mantine without hesitation. She waved back at Sera, "Come on, loser! Jump off! The grass is fine!"

Great, she's normal again. Just what I needed. Sera sighed and took a tiny tiptoe off their ride's back. When he made touchdown, he rolled his eyes, "Fine, I did it. Are you happy now?"

"Sera, stop clowning around and let's go!" Artemis commanded.

_WHY ME?! IT'S NEVER IZOL OR KITE! IT'S ALWAYS SERA!_ The Quilava complained in his hotheaded mind.

The group of seven casually walked through the field of groomed grass and beautiful flora. Flowers ranging from tall stems and short stems, blue to red, or big to small. Each flower gifted their sweet scent of nectar and berries. Not only had his garden been one of the most calm places they had ever seen, but also the most beautiful.

Izol, Sera, and Kite observed their surroundings and fell in love. Saki took notice immediately.

"This place is nice, isn't it?" the Plusle asked. "We try to do our best to keep up with this garden. After all, it used to belong to the humans."

_They believe in humans, too? I should've known it was too good to be true. I'm going to live with more nutcases._ Sera didn't utter a word on top of Saki's own. He crawled slowly and enjoyed the pillow of soft dirt cushion his feet, as well as, the prickly tips of grass tickling his body. On the inside, he was smiling.

The crew ended up ascending a couple of stairs leading to a set of double doors. These doorways contrasted a white door on the left and a black door on the right. Bolted on the doors are doorknobs which contrasted the door it had been screwed to. There's a white doorknob on the black door. Likewise, there's a black doorknob on the white one.

After a brief silence, Kite swallowed his spit and opened his mouth. "I have a question," says the levitating Flygon.

"What would that be?" Artemis acknowledges.

"Which sector are we in?" Kite queries.

"Unova," Artemis answered. Her metallic claws pinched the door knob, the white doorknob, and she gazed at the newcomers. "Any other questions before we go in?"

Izol raised her hand.

"Yes, Izol?" Artemis replied.

"How well do you think us three can fit in with everyone else? Are they all uptight assholes like Saki or something?" she kindly asked.

Saki glared, "Watch your tongue or I'll rip it out of your mouth."

"Sure you will. Unbearable sass comes with every package of Izol you purchase, didn't you know?" Izol flaunted in a joking way, laughing at herself.

Artemis giggled, then went ahead and answered her, "I think you three will fit in just fine. Actually, I don't have a single doubt in my mind that you won't fit in. The real question is if you're actually going to go through with it."

"We already gave you our answer," Kite said with a warm grin.

"Can you open the door already? Getting tired of waiting," Sera snorted.

Artemis turned the doorknob, "Okay, with that said..." Her arm shot forward and flicked the doorway opened in a spectacular fashion. The inside lights and decor dropped the bandits' jaws. Artemis yelled, "**_Welcome to Liberty Base!"_**

* * *

_Everything starts with one step._

A newfound home, a newfound place of existence, and probably newfound friends. These were the thoughts racing through the three's minds as they made their way inside the building and the cool feeling of sleek, salmon marble.

Izol beared witness to the large staircase leading to Artemis's room, guarded by two large, stone pillars. Sera aimed around to find the plentiful amount of rooms which this base held. Kite enjoyed the liveliness of the colors and lighting in the home.

"Pretty amazing, huh?" Quota piped up.

"I'll say… this place is amazing," Kite said in a mesmerized state.

The Nidorina shrugged, "Well, I think it's only fair that you get to introduce yourself to everyone. Is that cool with you, Sergeant?"

"It's fine, I'll be in my office. Once they're done, bring them to me," she commanded as she walked towards her way to her office. Artemis opened her door and smiled at the new recruits, "Don't you three have too much fun now. By the way, Sera, on your left…." Artemis slammed the door shut.

_What the hell does that mean?_ Sera made a gradual turn to his left.

"**INTRUDER**!" A powerful blur tackled Sera and dragged his hot body across the floor. When they stopped sliding, Sera was on the bottom, while a Whimsicott laid on the top. Her finger pointed between Sera's eyes like a pistol; A pink psychedelic energy emitted from it.

"What the hell is going on?!" Sera screamed. "Help me!"

"Oh, no. Curly's at it again…" Kaia murmured, nodding her head.

"No one's here to help you, bud! You're on Council turf, dog! So make like a Chatot and start chattering."

"What am I supposed to say?" Sera asked nervously. _Am I seriously about to die after all of that?! By some Grass-element, no less?_

Curly pressed her index finger closer to his brain. "Think of something because if you don't start getting mighty convincing in the next ten seconds, I'm going to blow your brains out!"

"CURLY, IT'S FINE, THEY WITH US!" Quota revealed.

Curly paused for a brief minute. Her intimidating face turned into sweet and innocent. "Sorry about that! I'm not used to new recruits! Here, let me help you up!" The Whimsicott stepped off of the Quilava's squeezed body and pulled him back on his fours.

She turned around to the Flygon and Sneasel, "So you're new, too?

They both nodded in synchronization. The Whimsicott's smile reached ear to ear. She jumped forward and forced Izol and Kite into her crushing embrace. "THAT'S SO COOL! WE FINALLY HAVE NEW RECRUITS!"

"Yes, Curly. That much was already established. Were you listening at all?" Kaia annoyingly sighed and frowned.

Quota followed, "But that's Curly. You can consider her the strongest Private in this base. She's a pretty scary girl. Her Life Spirit's the equivalent of forty Hyper Beams and three-hundred Moonblasts!"

Kite raised a crooked finger from his crushed disposition, "You… don't…. say… that's cool. Nice... to meet you..."

"Likewise!" Curly returned.

*_CRACK_* The Flygon felt the small bones in his back break. "Can you please let go of me, now?"

"Same," Izol said.

"Curly, let them go. It isn't kind to treat our welcomed recruits as plush toys and intruders," says a majestically calming voice. When Curly recognized her voice, she quickly unhanded Izol and Kite from her terrifying hug. This voice belonged to a Delphox, who were just entering the large room where the others were.

Curly bowed down. Her voice raised even higher than it already had been, "I'm really really really sorry, Corporal Myst. It won't happen again!"

Myst approached Curly and fluffed her hair, assuring her that she had no intentions to harm her. Her curiosity led her to face Izol, Sera, and Kite. Upon seeing them for the first time, she bowed her head and smiled. "Hello, you must be the new recruits. My name is Myst. I am a Corporal here at this base. I would be honored as to know the name of my fellow companions."

"Izol."

"Sera."

"Kite, nice to meet you."

Myst tilted her head and smiled, "What interesting names. It's a pleasure to meet you, too." The Delphox found the others behind her, "Saki, welcome back. I see that you're in good health. Same to you as well, Kaia."

"Thanks," Kaia said.

"Of course I am. We didn't run into the enemy," Saki briefly explained.

"I see, then that is always good, too. Although a blade is most admirable when it posses scars of past encounters, a used blade is most useful when kept in top condition."

Saki's eyes wandered off into space, trying to piece together exactly the analogy Myst was going for.

Myst's eye contact focused completely on the Nidorina. "Quota, if these are new recruits, then shouldn't the others introduce themselves to these three new soldiers?"

"Sounds like an idea to me," Kaia beamed.

"Let's do this!" Curly cheered.

"It's about time someone suggested it!" Quota stood up on her two hind legs, cracked her knuckles, and popped the bones in her neck. She pointed at the new recruits, "Ya'll ready for to meet everyone?"

_This outta be good_, Sera thought to himself.

"AM I? I've been waiting for this all morning!" Kite's practically jumping in excitement, ready to meet the other members of the base. _That didn't take much to get him excited, did it?_

"ALRIGHT MAGGOTS, GATHER AROUND! WE GOT SOME HOT MEAT FRESH OFF THE FIRE! WE GOT OURSELVES SOME NEW RECRUITS!" Quota interrupted and shouted to the heavens, echoing annoying vibrations all over the weird Sneasel's body.

Kaia dug out her ears, "Geez, Quota, do you always have to be so loud?"

"I stopped thinking that was possible years ago," Saki said, retaining her hearing as well.

Curly laughed at them, unstuffing her cotton-filled ear holes, "You guys are babies, I didn't hear anything!"

One by one, Pokémon from the other rooms hesitantly drug their feet, claws, paws, and wings over to the position of the obnoxiously loud sound.

An Infernape was the first one to come out of the room, "What is it, Quota? How many times do we have to tell you not to yell so loud, especially in the morning?"

A Ninjask and a lone Nuzleaf were the next ones to crawl out of whatever hole they came out of. The Nuzleaf smacked his tired lips, "What was that about newcomers? There's no way that we had newcomers, we didn't have any in-" He stopped himself and stared in awe. A Sneasel is what he saw. A Sneasel with the perfect body and flamboyant normal and shiny colors. Her golden feathers, her golden eyes, her pink and black finish. She's definitely good-looking in his eyes.

"Woah… Hiyono actually shuts up for once. Are you okay, buddy?" the Ninjask asked with fake concern. There was no answer. He nudged Hiyono by his shoulders. No response but a deep trance. "Buddy?"

A loud gape resonated throughout the building, as more Pokémon began to show up. This Pokémon stretched out his ghoulish expendables and clicked on his bronze mask. "Is it mission time, already? And what's this about a newcomer? Do you know Skylar?"

"I know about as much as you do. What time is it, anyways?" the Taillow breathed out, rubbing rust off of her cold, dead eyes. Her eyes needed time to adjust, but there were no mistaking anything concerning the newcomers. "Aren't those the guys from Bell Tower we fought?"

"Time for all y'all to get off your lazy asses and line up! We got introductions to do," Quota geared herself in excitement. Man, she seems really pumped about this. I guess she's always like this in the morning. What a pain that's gonna be.

"We finally got new recruits, huh? It's about time that Keegan got another squad," said an unsuspecting Dewott. "By the way, Saki…"

Saki turned herself around to find the Dewott standing right behind her, prompting her to jump in fear. "Great Arceus, Zendan! You know how I feel about others creeping behind me..."

"I've realized that for years now. Why did you think I did it?" Zendan rhetorically interrogated with a beating, cold expression on his face.

"Hey, Zendan!" Curly shouted, waving excitedly.

"Hello, Curly. You're back in one piece, I see. Same could be said about you three. Your mission with Artemis was a success, no?" Zendan asked. Sera glared at him. _Does this guy have any emotions? Or is he some sort of human junk they forgot to throw away? _Sera snickered at himself._ Sera, how do you keep coming up with these jokes?!_

"Obviously it went smoothly. Besides, it wasn't a life threatening mission no ways. That's not important. What are you doing sneaking behind people this early in the morning?" Saki grunted.

"I do what I always do," Zendan said, his expression unchanging. The Dewott whipped out a handful of plump Oran Berries.

Saki's cheeks turned pink. "You went out and pluck Oran Berries for me? Is it because you know that they're my favorite kind? Zendan, I didn't know that you-"

"No, not really. This is meant to congratulate Quota and Kaia on a job well done with Sergeant Artemis," Zendan shot down immediately. _Damn. Dudes extremely honest. _Kaia's aqua blue eyes simmered. Quota grew giddy with glee. Immediately after, they both swam up the marble floors up to Zendan, happy.

Zendan, with the same expression no less, handed the ladies a couple of fat, juicy Oran Berries. The girls stuffed her mouth and smiled, "Thanks, Corporal Zendan!"

Saki restrained her blushing and frowned, "What about the Corporal's reward, huh?"

"A good performance from the Corporal or higher ranks are not only expected, but required. Corporals do not require encouragement," the Dewott criticized.

"Gee, thanks, Corporal Zendan…" she huffed.

He shrugged, "But since these are your favorite ones and you happen to be here, you can take a few."

Saki snatched the berries off of this hand and ate them. "Thanks," she sarcastically mumbled.

Zendan gestured that he would, just as he got a good look of Izol, Sera, and Kite. "You three must be these new recruits."

"You got that right!" Izol said, laughing.

Zendan checked her out from head to toe. "A normal and shiny Sneasel, huh? Surprised that the Phantasma Syndicate didn't get to you first. It's probably for the best that someone of your caliber didn't side with the enemy."

Izol raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me? Don't go actin' like you know everything about me, cause you don't know nothing."

He rolled his eyes, "Never mind. The clueless will stay clueless. I'll just get in place for the introduction."

Kite reached over to Izol's arm. He pulled himself close to her ear, "Is it just me or is did that guy not smile, frown, or anything? I'd really hate to get on his bad side."

"I assure you that I'm not a bad guy once you get to know me," Zendan intruded. Having been interrupted, even when whispering, Kite swallowed a large shot of saliva.

"You heard their whispers? What are you, some kind of freak?" Sera rudely bantered.

"A freak, yes. A freak of nature. One that is capable of killing you in three seconds flat if you disrespect your commanding officer again."

Sera swallowed hard, "Yes, sir!" _Come on, Sera! Why you gotta run that big mouth of yours._

"Good morning everyone!"

The others responded by turning to an Abra and a Floette casually floating by. The Abra is your typical Abra except he had on glasses, in which one of the lenses was broken. The Floette has a white body and something of a green tail. Her tail was shaped like a spade. She possesses green eyebrows as well. She was holding a large and a lighter flower with a yellow-orange pollen bud with white and red petals.

"I see that everyone is awake, thanks to Quota. There's new recruits, you say?" the Abra stated, whilst readjusting his glasses.

The new recruits greeted themselves to the Abra and Floette. They greeted themselves in return. A simple, yet lovely exchange. Everyone got themselves in line, stationed right in front of Izol, Sera, and Kite. It's an understatement to tell that those three Pokémon were on the nervous side. They felt happy, but they also felt uneasy from this new place.

When the veterans of Liberty Base finally finished, they were grouped in three groups of four soldiers and a lone, black Infernape.

Behind Myst the Delphox floated Acran, Henricks, and Curly.

Kaia, Skylar, and Elin proudly stood beside Saki.

Last but not least, Speedy, Quota, and Hiyono accompanied Zendan by his little entourage.

All of them standing together, side by side, presenting themselves before the three ex-thieves. The spotlight's shining on them; The attention is theirs and theirs alone. Saki held her hand sideways and calmly drove it to her stomach, as if she was a waitress. She spoke out first.

"I'm Corporal Saki. Although you may have known me as your enemy before, I want us to forever fight together as friends. As a Corporal, it is my duty to protect and serve The Council using my own three-soldier elite squadron."

The Taillow rested her wing much like that of Saki, "My name is Skylar. It's a pleasure to see that you're alive and are working with us, now."

A Yamask unmasked himself and moved his bronze mask to his stomach, politely acknowledging himself, "The name's Elin. And now that it's established that we're allies, I'm happy to know that experienced criminals will serve us well as not only fellow soldiers but friends."

The last one, a Vaporeon, bowed her head with a genuine smile, "You already know me, but my name is Kaia! If your heart is as big as what I saw from your time in The Junkyard, as little as it is, I know you three will be as great as the rest of us!"

Saki spoke again, "These three make up my squadron of this base, Squadron Saki, the experts of Infiltration and Special Operations!"

Myst drew her wooden wand and bowed with it, her eyes sealed shut, "I am Corporal Myst. I am a specialist in aura and psychic detection, manipulation, and communication. As a Corporal, it is my duty to protect and serve The Council using my three-soldier elite squadron."

The Whimsicott gathered all of her excitement and bowed her head with an insanely radiating, yet creepy grin, "You can call me Curly! And I'm superduperuber excited to finally have more members in our base!"

Myst's Abra unequipped his glasses, folded them, and introduced himself, "Henricks is my name. I come equip with not power, but vast knowledge on the field of battle, making me the most inept soldier who doesn't fight!"

"I'm Acran. Pleased to meet you! As a healer, it is my sworn duty to nurse and care for the injured and weakened soldiers on and off the battlefield. I'll be sure to care for you three in the coming days together!"

Myst opened her eyes, "Us three create my squadron of this base, Squadron Myst, those in who is the Support to the base's operations!"

Zendan, with the same, dead expression, no less, didn't unhand his scalpels and bowed, "You may call me Zendan. I am a survivor and master of the arts of the Janan, the principle of Life Spirits. As a Corporal, it is my duty to protect and serve The Council using my three-soldier elite squadron."

The Nuzleaf repeated the steps and introduced himself, "Name's Hiyono. I'm the best looking, most awesome, greatest thing to ever come out of this base. Consider yourself lucky."

"I don't need to say who I am, because I'm just that cool." At that moment, the entire party of soldiers glared at the Nidorina. Realizing that she had no choice, but to actually tell her name, she did it anyways. "I'm Quota and I do things. Nice to have already seen your face."

**"AND I'M SPEEDY**! Fastest thing living, that's right. I can run laps around you and kill you before you can say "Ouch". As long as you don't double cross us, I'm happy to see some new faces."

"The three of us shape my squadron of this base, Squadron Zendan, the expert on everything Espionage and Intelligence Gathering!"

The last one to present himself is the black Infernape. He held an intimidating stature, yet a warm smile. Perhaps it's simply misleading. He's definitely someone you didn't mess with on the day to day basis. Not with those muscles.

He bent down on one knee and lowered his gaze to the floor, "I'm Corporal Keegan. My skills once revolve around commanding and leading troops into the battlefield, now I simply am the largest muscle of this base. As a Corporal, it is my duty to protect and serve The Council using my three-soldier elite squadron. I specialize in Full-On Assault and Civilian Matters!"

Sera noticed before, but now that he said it, it's more clear than ever. _Where's his squad,_ questioned the Quilava.

Kite elevated further from the ground, examining behind Keegan to see if there really weren't any soldiers. There wasn't any after all.

Izol became the one to finally question it, verbally, "Where's your squad?"

"I regret to tell that I have not had one for months now. So for now on, I will be in charge of your well-being. I'll be your direct commanding officer. However-" Keegan stopped bowing and stood on his feet, standing triumphantly before the three newcomers. "You three must accept a vow to this Council. **Realize this:** We are The Council's soldiers, we shall protect the people from harm and lead them to an age of prosperity of peace not even realized by humans. We are the few and faithful that will die to help the cherished and the misfortunate. Do you accept these terms? Will you die to serve our people? Are you willing to end, to be completely removed from existence, to bring a smile to their faces?"

The three bandits stared at each other in contemplation. It seemed that all of them were thinking the same thing, because they all nodded at the same time. Izol, Sera, and Kite smiled and yelled, "_We accept_!"

"Great! Then by me and everyone here…"

At once, all of their mouths opened big and wide for everyone to hear, "_**Welcome to the Liberty Base! Welcome to our family!"**_

Neither of them knew what to make of this experience. Was it hopefulness? Was it something required for every newcomer? Or was it simply out of love? Whatever the case may be, this experience made them fell truly special. A family which they never have known just opened their arms for Pokémon they were trained to contempt. They finally had a real family, or so they say. But for the first time in a long time, Kite, Izol, and Sera…

_Felt happy. True. Genuine. Happiness._

* * *

**Liberty Garden**

Sera sat alone on the outside world on the groomed grass. In terms to the outside horizon, it's fading away. The sky's purple and the ocean waters were waving. Nothing much more could keep me relaxed, thought Sera. The setting sun warmed his already hot skin. Even this volcano could chill down a notch.

He couldn't but review over what Artemis said to him:

_"Our enemies and your enemies is the Phantasma Syndicate. It's our sworn duty to protect The Council and its people. They desire to rule. They desire to change the world order. But what can we argue for, this is how they believe peace can be attained. And I really blame them."_

"Hey, Sera! You're not gonna believe it, but these guys got hooked up with** RUNNING WATER** and **HUMAN JUNK**!" Izol called out. Her pink, black, and golden posterior ran her tail over to Sera's cozy spot. _Well, there goes my peace_. Izol stared at the Quilava's head, "Watcha doin'?"

"Chillin', I guess," Sera responded vaguely.

Izol tapped Sera in his back, "Well, we're about to eat dinner. Apparently, Myst is this really good cook."

"Really? Myst didn't strike me as a cook," Sera said.

"I'll be the judge of that!" Izol started giggling to herself, only to notice that the same tired expression is plastered on Sera's face. "What's the matter, punk?"

"I can't stop thinking about what the Sergeant told us. They made it sound like the Phantasma Syndicate's the bad guys. But to them, we're the bad guys that gets their ass kicked in the end. They only want peace, just like us. Maybe there's more to this than we let ourselves on," Sera reminisced. He laid himself down on the grass bed, keeping a watchful eye on the clouds. "I mean, should we have gotten involved? If we hadn't taken that job, then-"

Sera's cheeks blushed. Izol had her head down, her eyes closed, and her lips sealed against the Quilava's forehead. He had no idea what to make it; he just let things play out. So when Izol released her lips from his forehead, he simply asked it, "What was that for?"

"Don't wanna hear anything about regrets now. We took the job and this is what we got. And it's a pretty good trade-off if you asked me. Besides, I kissed you because you've done me a solid for the last few days and... well… ever."

"Like what? What I do for you?" Sera inquired, frowning.

"You were there when I needed you. And you were there when Kite needed you. Back when we first met, at the Pokémon Mansion, at Bell Tower, at The Junkyard, and even now. I never really kissed you as a thanks until now, huh?"

"Uh…. no problem," Sera accepted. "But why do it, now?"

"No one would believe you unless they saw it themselves," Izol joked, poking out her tongue._ Oh, so she's embarrassed to actually kiss me_. "That and Skylar and Elin totally bet me a handful of Coin that I'd do it." She got up and stretched out her arms and body. "Hurry up and get in, we got dinner before I help myself to your share!"

Sera's flame lightly bursted, "I swear I'll burn you alive if you do that!"

Izol slowly trekked away, "Then do it already, Mr. Tough Guy!"

"Oh, I will! Just you wait!" Sera ran over. "You are not taking my share."

Sera didn't want to say it, but he wanted to tell her thanks, too. They may have gotten themselves in problems they didn't even know about yet, but they were ready to tackle on the world if they needed it. They weren't your average petty thieves. They were soldiers. They are a force of good. It had a nice ring to it, actually…

_**The Soldiers of Aquacorde**_.

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**I'm back! So, how was it? Make sure to leave your comments, questions, ans concerns in the reviews! Thank you to everyone for 4200 views and over 230 reviews! I can't wait to show you what this story is truly going to be about? Now, I'm not going to do review replies this time, but starting on Chapter 13, I will! These chapters are going to get on the lengthier side from now on, so hopefully that doesn't turn away anybody. I write at a 7k average now, so I'm gradually building my way up. If you hadn't already, follow and favorite! This will give you an e-mail notice for when I post anything! It's better to keep up. With all of that said, I'm out!**

**QOTC: What do you think of the dream Izol had?**


	21. Post-Extinction: Phantasma Syndicate

_**A/N**:I totally didn't forget an Author's Note when I published this, nope. Funny story. This was supposed to be up at 3'o clock in the afternoon where I live. But I ended up thinking that I had already posted it, so.. you got it a few hours later than intended. Nonetheless, I hope you read through and review! With all of that said,** ENJOY :)**_

* * *

_Amongst this new world_  
_Lies two sides_  
_A head and a tail_  
_Like the ever competing sun and moon_  
_Always in constant feud_

_On the nethermost layer_  
_Lies the hidden flesh_  
_A darkness that can't be understood_  
_Shadows that murder and steal_  
_For the sake of the common good_

_Masked away in abnormality_  
_Hunted down in brutality_  
_This is pain_  
_This is strife_

_Phantoms who see the dark_  
_Phantoms who are branded by marks_  
_Targeted_  
_Destroyed_

_Phantoms who are Missing_  
_But are Missing in plain sight_

_Phantoms_  
_Ghosts who does exist_  
_But exist in loneliness_

_Phantoms_  
_A cloak of white_  
_Stained by red_

_Phantoms_  
_Where war succeeded_  
_Where peace failed_

_Phantoms_  
_Subjected to isolation_  
_Written as criminals_

_Phantoms_  
_Syndicates of pain_  
_And a world without strife_

* * *

_The **Phantasma Syndicate**. They are enemies of The Council who desire a world without pain. A new world order which would replace The Council and rule on their own terms, for the better of society. As a group of outcasts, they will do whatever in their power to obtain this. Stealing, murder, war, and possibly peace are all on the table. They are the ghosts of the night who neither exist or remain in fantasy. Phantoms, if you will._

* * *

"Hello, Pain. I see that you're in good health."

Those were the first words that the Bisharp heard when he entered through a set of doors with nothing but an arm and a partly failed mission. A Meloetta, named Meloetta, floated by carelessly. Seeing his face made her smile. Pain didn't care either way. The only thing on his mind was reporting this incident to Termina. The Bisharp lightly shoved her out of the way, "Sorry, but I'm not in the talking mood. You can speak to me once I'm in a talking mood."

Meloetta batted her teal eyeballs and pouted, "But you're never in the talking mood anymore."

"Exactly," Pain said, attempting to end the conversation there. Mistral began giggling at the poor legendary. Meloetta immediately went on the offensive and started to yell.

"What do you know, you stupid feline?! I can make Persian soup out of you if I wanted to," Meloetta threatened.

Mistral, in a sarcastic fashion, pouted her lips, "Poor, Meloetta. Once a beautiful demigod admired by many. Now she gets rejected by a simple Bisharp. Excuse me for laughing at your own misery."

Pain's eyes rolled to Meloetta. She got up close and personal to Mistral, "You wanna see misery, Mistral? Because I kill you a thousand times over and still have time to sing on your corpse one hundred times."

Pain's eyes rolled to Mistral, "You think I'm scared of an insecure, little brat like you. Bite me, bitch."

I should probably use this moment to escape both of them and report. Pain casually walked away from the cat fight with Blade's severed arm. For the next few minutes, the Bisharp began thinking to himself. What is the deal with this Servine being both a shiny and normal species? Why does this Servine hold any importance? He knew none of them would be answered today. After all, "Why" is the last thing that ever gets answered in this world.

"Heya, Pain!" a soft, innocent voice cried.

Pain's subconscious snapped instantaneously on the voice who called out to him. This Pokémon, unlike most Gardevoirs, is a black and white Pokémon with a lower body resembling a slim gown with a red underside. She has long, slender, white legs underneath the gown, and violet-red hair that curls down the sides of its head. On the sides of her face are spikes, resembling that of a masquerade mask. She also has white arms and long, slender fingers that resemble gloves. A purple fin-like horn extends from its chest with a shorter, more rounded horn extends from the back. A band of red on its chest extends to the center most horn and connects to its sleeve-like arms.

This Gardevoir, like the grassy arm Pain had been carrying, is- in fact- a mix of both a shiny and normal variety of Pokémon.

"Hello, Eve. What brings you here?" Pain greeted.

She did a happy twirl with her dress, "You know, just chilling. What about you? How did the mission go with Mistral?"

Pain referred Eve to the severed arm of Blade, "He escaped. But I managed to snatch this."

"Poor guy, probably misses it," Eve said with a hardy tone.

"It's his fault that he cut it off. Before I report the mission to Termina, I wanted to take this to the old man and see what he thinks of it. Have you seen the Professor around at all, Eve?"

Eve went into deep thought, staring in blank space. She snapped her fingers, "Yeah! Nikola is with Alex down at the lab! I hope that helps!" The Gardevoir creeped on Pain's right ear. She cupped her mouth and his ear together. Eve whispered, "But I don't get why you would willingly go to Nikola for."

"Unlike you and everyone else in this place, I don't fear him. His knowledge is a great contributor to the Phantasma Syndicate's mission statement, their goal, is it not?" Pain asked directly, cold and calculating as always.

"I guess. But I wouldn't get involved in too much trouble!" Eve warned. She gently danced her way out of the conversation. Pain sighed, _She seems to be in a better mood and less psychotic than most days. That's a relief._

* * *

"Do not worry, this will only hurt you a tensie bit. If there was a less violent way to extract a Pokémon's life spirit…" A Malamar grins at his near dead patient, a Raticate, maniacally. He clamped his pair of violent tweezers. "I'd probably still use this method anyways!"

_*KNOCK KNOCK*_ The Malamar took a breath from hearing his knocking door. He rolled his eyes and glared at his assistant, a Zangoose. He swiftly shook his head in the direction of the lab's door, "Alex, I'm sorta busy at the moment. Can you please get that for me?"

The Zangoose nodded in return, "As you wish, sir."

Alex opened the door. When he saw the Bisharp standing over him with an arm, he turned his head and called back to the Malamar, "Professor Nikola, it's Pain."

A face of satisfaction wrapped around the Nikola's face. So much so that he even stopped what terrible experiments on his patient, just to see Pain. He floated over to Pain and Alex with quick haste. On his way, he started formalities, "Yes. Yes. Pain, how is life? I take it that it's going well? On another note, how did the mission go?"

Pain dangled Blade's arm in front of him, "He escaped, but we made out with this arm."

Right then, a glowing energy of black and pink encompassed the arm. The psychokinesis allowed the professor to lift the arm in the air with general ease. "Hmm…" Nikola's expression loss its tender and began moving around the severed arm. "The perfect blend of both shiny and normal. The perfect form for a perfect swordman." Nikola rose the arm above his head and stuck out his tongue. A small shake is all it took to force a droplet of Blade's blood on Nikola's tongue. "Even the perfect blood. It has zero inconsistencies. It taste wonderful." He smacked his teeth, "This Servine's one of them all right. But now that the test is over…."

Nikola's Psychic revolved around the doorknob. "Bring me the rest of him and then we can talk. Consider this your warning for failing both myself and the Phantasma Syndicate. Don't you dare interrupt me during my experiments again."

He slammed the door shut.

* * *

Pain flinched when Nikola slammed the door in his face. The Bisharp growled. _The more I spend time with him, the more I regret picking your ass up from The Junkyard_. His left hand didn't lug anymore baggage. _Nikola might get a few blood samples from that. I swear, we spoil that asshole._

"Yo, Pain! My man! My main man!"

_Great. Just what I needed_. Pain knew by that ear splitting and annoying sound exactly who that was. Running across the narrow hallways to reach him is none other than Leo, a male Axew with a scar running down from his left shoulder down to the right wrist. Also, he donned two white leather straps for holding items, one across his waist, and the other from the left shoulder to his right wrist.

"What do you possibly want, Leo?" Pain grunted.

"Aww, don't be like that, man! Did I catch you in a bad mood or something?" Leo questioned. Something's definitely amiss from Leo's eyes. When he caught the missing link, the Axew beamed from ear to ear. "I see. I see. Here, let me fix that for you, bud!"

Leo's body dissolved into a goop of purple substance. The purple substance shifted around and began to change its purple color into a goop of beige. The beige jelly gave itself form, stretching itself into a feline. The feline was given a nice, pink gem glued to his forehead. His beige color became beige fur. Leo is now an accurate replacement for Pain's missing link, Mistral.

It flipped its hair, "Like my new look? I'd do me. But I ain't into that butt stuff. Just make this quick, okay? Consider this a favor for a fellow friend, alright?"

Pain crossed his arms. _Stupid Ditto, thinking he could replace anybody._ "For your record, I find you annoying and loud mouthed. For seconds, I did not lose Mistral during the mission."

The copycat Persian's mouth opened, "Oh…. then what's your deal?"

"If you are to know, the mission wasn't entirely successful. But where's your brother? I didn't see him on my way in. After all, he's more bearable than you."

"Aw, don't say that," Leo pouted. The Ditto transformed again, only this time he mimicked the Bisharp he was talking to. He let his arm run around Pain's shoulder, "Come on, you can't be mad at yourself!"_ Does he have any sense of filter left in that miserable mouth of his?_

Pain unsheathed his dark blade from nowhere. "Touch me again and that'll be the last thing you'll do in your miserable life, you slimy piece of shit."

Leo backed up in fear, plainly laughing, "Come on, Pain! Don't be like that!" Leo quickly shifted right back to the Axew he was before. Pain still glared at him with an intent to murder. He started tapping around himself. "See, Pain! I'm back to my normal self. Alright? Okay?"

Pain retreated his Night Slash, "Go on and be annoying somewhere else."

The dragon snarled. He turned around and walked away from the conversation, raising his hand as he left. "Fine, be that way. I'll go hang with Alice or Rodney or something. At least they know how to take a joke. So many people are uptight around here," Leo insulted on his leave.

Pain didn't have anymore words, he instead kept walking in the general opposite of where Leo walked.

* * *

Pain finally arrived at his destination.

Where was he? A large room reconstructed after the extinction of humans. The room is very spacious, allowing space for even the gods to enter if they wanted to. Stepping inside, the first thing Pain always noticed was the large walkway. This walkway is tiled with white. On the edges and seams of this walkways were golden silk fabric. Below such a room is a moat, a moat where water runs fluidly. The path runs straight until you reach the center, where the pathway widens into a large square, then it gets as narrow as the rest of walkway until the very end. At the every end of this is a large hole which exposes it at the cliff side, revealing a wonderful view.

Pain felt easy coming in here. The heavy burdens on his shoulder were lifted.

_Close your eyes._

Now, imagine listening to the sound of nothing but blowing wind and a waterfall. No voices. Just the silence of people and the whispers of nature.

But this isn't what Pain came here for.

There was someone he had to report the mission to. And her cool grace floats carelessly like a mirage. She's a Froslass. But not any old Froslass. A Froslass with a violet-red belt, dirty ice, and clean snow surrounding her icy cloak.

Pain took a few steps. Those few steps were enough to signal his arrival.

"Pain, did you know that this place was the battlefield between two humans and two gods, who fought over truths and ideals? Did you know that this ruined castle once belonged to a trainer named N?" the Froslass asked.

"No, ma'am. I did not know that," Pain said.

She rotated herself and stared Pain down with her beating red eyes. "I didn't expect you to know that. I've only learned that today. Alex told me. It's interesting how we inherit items once used by humans. But you're not here to chat, are you? You're back from your mission, are you not?"

"Yes, Ms. Termina. I returned from my mission not too long ago."

Termina held onto her right arm, "Well then, what's the status?"

Pain bowed his head in attempt to avoid eye contact, "We unfortunately failed to capture the Servine. As close as we were, a soldier from The Council bailed him out at the last second. All I could savage was his arm."

"I see," Termina turned away.

"If you give me another chance, than I-"

At a blinding speed, a pinpointed icicle struck Pain straight through his gut. A sting kicked his body into submission, forcing him to kneel. The Bisharp watched the blood drain from his body slowly. Termina nodded, "Save me your tongue, Pain. I've known you too long to be fooled. Tell me, did you really try to capture him? Or was his skills becoming too trying for you to simply capture? Say it again, Pain. Tell me that you made the effort to capture him."

Pain held on to the little bit of air that didn't escape his chest, "I tried to kill him, ma'am. His swordsmanship angered me and forced me to lose sight of my goals. I apologize."

"Don't."

_*SNAP*_ Termina snapped her fingers. At that moment in time, the icicle shot through Pain's gut shattered like the fragile glass it was. Pain gripped the hole in his still-bleeding stomach. "Don't apologize. Failure is a necessary part of life. The simple thing is to learn from them."

Termina dissipated from the air. Her cool dust reformed Termina right in front of Pain and his wound. The calm Froslass caressed Pain by his cheek, dropping his temperature wildly. "You will learn from your mistakes, won't you? Next time you'll follow my orders and not let your temper and drive to fight get in the way, will you?"

"I will not."

Termina smiled, although her cold, chilly smiles were anything but warm and inviting. She closed her eyes and pecked Pain on his cheek, passing on her own ice inside him. The ice swam around Pain's bloodstream, straight to the open wound in his chest. Crystallites manifested and strung themselves together like web and just like that, Pain's punched wound was simply but an unforeseen bruise.

"I have important matters to deal with. I recently have been given reports from Zeff that another 'Luciform' had escaped The Junkyard along with The Council's puppets. So, I'll take care of this Servine and bring him here. Don't worry yourself with this mission. It's my problem now," she insisted, deepening her chilly, red stare into Pain's lifeless eyes.

"Glad that we made an agreement. Go on, have fun for once. I'll stay here and tend to my battle strategy. One doesn't kill Gods without a plan. You're dismissed. Try not to disappointment next time or consider your vision of a world without strife destroyed."

Pain got up and headed for the Throne's Room exit. No words were exchanged, just silence.

Termina couldn't help feel bad for Pain. She knew his heart was in the right place, but knew better than anyone how merciless she is. The Froslass began mumbling to herself, "Don't worry yourself. It won't be for long until the pieces are in place and all the Luciforms are gathered. I just need time, so please give me some. When the pieces have fallen and we rise against The Council…"

_**"They'll regret the day when they killed the humans."**_

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**I don't really have much to say at the moment, other than thanks for reading! There are a couple OC's that were unvieled in this 'chapter'. Nikola belongs to The Gentleman Ghost. Leo belongs to Crazeguy. Eve belongs to Ckbrothers. Finally, Alex belongs to craiger250. Thanks for reading and I will see you guys on the next chapter! **

**QOTC: So far, which faction would you see your OC in, if they weren't already introduced (if they weren't, please refrain from spoiling it)?**


	22. Chapter 13: A Soldier's Mark (Part 1)

_**A/N:** What is this? Two months without a proper update? I'm sorry about that. I've been fairly busy with Chronicles of Fate- Year Zero. You must've missed this story. Consider this my late birthday present to all of you... my five day late birthday present. Anyways, I rethought some things and I believe that I have a grasp on where the story is going! I won't reply to the last Chapter 13's reviews as it no longer has any context to the story... for now. I'm kinda iffy on whether I keep footnotes around or not. I won't have one this time and see where it goes. I think it'll be reserved for Review Replies for now on. Make sure to read and review and all of that good stuff. With that said... **ENJOY :)**_

_**Special Thanks to IcyKali for the new cover! Isn't it awesome?!**_

* * *

_Warm hues and gentle breezes sweep through Liberty Base. The sunlight blazes through the many corridors that lay within the halls of the island. It is through these same halls that a few rooms are spotted. From the outside of the base, you couldn't give heads or tails from what lied beneath. To be honest, the bandits of Aquacorde did not fully grasp the situation that they were in. All they could do was let time tell them what to do._

_And so time did **exactly** that_.

* * *

**Liberty Base**

Light seeps in the room. The morning rays simmered on the face of a Sneasel, Flygon, and Quilava. The Quilava's face crinkled. The sunlight struck straight through his eyelids. He turned over to his more comfy side, hoping to just ignore it. Various stacks of hay, leaves, and soft dirt tickled him. Sera opened one eye, gaining full view of the ultraviolet rays. Small holes poked at the walls served as windows. Sera squinted at one at the far left of the room, which had been conveniently placed where he didn't really have to turn to see.

Colors of orange and yellows were already inside the room. It was time to wake up.

Sera sat back up on his hind. _Morning already? Didn't that Infernape want us or something…_

He gazes at the left. Izol's left hand is pressed against her buttocks, as if she were scratching. And to be honest, she probably was. Izol has her right arm wrapped around a tug of the nature that played the role as their bed. That's where Sera had been lying. _Guess Izol thought of me as a pillow or something. Some things never change from home._

Sera peeked at his left arm. Near invisible scabs evidenced that Izol cut him up in his sleep- probably on accident. _I wish Izol's clawnails weren't so sharp_.

He gazes to the right of him. Kite was sprawled out with his talons so close to Izol's face that if he had a nightmare, he'd give a good slash across her face. His legs were tied around each other like pretzels. His drool trickles over to the cesspool of a puddle to the left of his body. That where Sera was lying.

Sera feels at his back to get a huge feel of slimy liquids. He cringed. _That's disgusting. I wish Kite didn't drool so much._

Sera lightly tapped Izol's forehead. She bats her golden eyelashes at Sera, before grunting, "I'll be up in a little bit Sera. Can you give me like an hour..." she closed her eyes and turned on her side, "… or a year?"

"We have to get up," Sera repeated in a tired tone. He tapped Kite in his sandy-shaded forehead, "You too, Kite. We have to get up early, remember?"

Kite could barely sit up straight. His lungs inhaled a gust of air. The balloon in his stomach deflated, relinquishing a hearty yawn out of his gaping mouth. After that much needed yawn, he smacked his chap lips and gave them a good ol' lick. He scratched his bed head, "I know. He said to meet him where in the morning, again?"

Sera attempted to answer, "I think it was um… something that starts with like a 'whi' sound?"

The Sneasel Luciform woke up, though she could barely do that. Her eyes were half-shut and she definitely didn't have a form of innate balance. Izol gave her soft spoken two-sense, "He said something like White Forest. Apparently it's in the Unova-sector or something?"

None of them knew exactly where this aforementioned "White Forest" was located, thus it only mounted on the piles of worries that they already had. Kite sighed in response, "What sector is Liberty Base in, again?"

"Hoenn?" Sera seemed to have questioned himself.

"But isn't that where The Junkyard was?" Kite responded.

"I think so. I know we changed sectors, and we're not in Johto. We lived in Kalos, so it wouldn't be that. If we cross out Hoenn since we were already there, then doesn't that leave us with Kanto and Unova?" Izol calculated.

"We were definitely in the Kanto sector when we got that chest of Rare Candies for Ivan. And this place is nothing like that sector," Sera evaluated. "Then that means we're in the Unova sector!"

"I told you, you stupid head," Izol berated.

The Quilava looked down on Izol, more disappointed than angry, "Really, stupid head? Is that really the best that you can do?"

Izol growled, "Shut up, I'm still tired." Izol got up from the dirt pile she slept on. She yawned again, "Do we really have to go? I mean- we've been in the theft scene for so long that we all got some experience. Why waste time?"

Kite wiped his face. The dry spit on his lips cracked off as if they were the crust on toasted bread. Now that he was at least half-awake, he allowed himself to levitate in the air as usual. The Flygon snapped the bones in his back to loosen his body, while answering the Sneasel's question, "If the Corporal said to meet him there, then we don't really have a choice, do we? All three of us did get our asses kicked by Saki's squad-"

"Yeah! But that's only because 'whatshisface' took advantage of us and made scott-free with our money!" Izol reminded. She snarled, "Don't you remember that he nearly killed you, Kite? That he's the reason why we're in this mess to begin with."

Kite knew the story. "I know what happened at Bell Tower. But he didn't just do that to save his own skin. He had a brother to come back to. That's the only reason why he did what he di-"

Izol swiftly interrupted. Now her tiredness was tapped with a hint of anger and alert, "I get it, okay? You can see the good in other Pokémon, but I don't! So what that he had a little brother? I have you two and I see you guys like family, I'd hate for anything to happen to you. Just because he had someone to come back to doesn't make him a good person. I could kill five-hundred people if I assumed that I was saving you guys, but does that make me a good person?"

"You clearly don't understa-"

"You don't understand, Kite! You don't understand how worried I was about you! I practically went through mental hell thinking that you died for crying out loud! Why are so stupid to defend someone who literally stabbed you in the back?!"

Kite frowned, knowing that the Luciform was correct.

Sera injected himself in the conversation, "Aren't you being a little difficult, Izol? You're probably still tired."

Izol crossed her arms and faced away, "Maybe I'm being difficult. Maybe I'm just a little tired. But can you just walk a mile in my shoes," Izol scraped up a large degree of dirt and leaves, only to crush them in her grasp, "It was just some dumb Servine ripping through my family, someone I love, so he can get off. He may have your forgiveness, but he sure as hell doesn't have mine. And he never will."

It hurts him that he couldn't get through her why he did it, knowing she still wouldn't understand. At least, he thought for sure that she wouldn't understand. At least not at this moment she wouldn't. Kite sighed, "You might be right. I just think he did what any of us would do for each other, you know?"

Both of them silently contemplates, avoiding eye contact and feeling an air of discontent with each other. Despite how they really feel about each other, it didn't erase the fact that they went through a lot after Bell Tower.

Sera rolled his eyes. _Geez, this is awkward. Can't believe I have to be the voice of reason in this trio. This is so annoying. It's like I'm the only adult here._ Sera spoke, "Even still, regardless of who's right and who's wrong, we should be heading out before we get into trouble, okay? We can talk about this later. But right now, let's just bury this."

Izol huffed. She went back to looking at Kite, "Dude, I'm sorry. You know how I can get sometimes. I'm really dense sometimes."

"I know," Kite warmly replied.

Izol twitched. Kite laughed at her reaction and replied again, "But I'm sorry too."

_*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*_

Their heads shifted towards their bedroom door. Izol answered, "Who is it?"

A nervous voice crackled, "Um-u-um… i-i-it's the I-i-infiltration Sq-q-quad."

Sera murmured to himself, "The Infiltration Squad?"

Saki spoke again, "These three make up my squadron of this base, Squadron Saki, the experts of Infiltration and Special Operations!"

"Who?" Izol questioned.

Sera whispered, "It's Corporal Saki's Squad."

"Oh," Izol returned. "COME IN!"

Their bedroom door creaked open. Three shadows invaded the room. With their shadows dragged along a Vaporeon, who crawled in with her hydrated grace. Above Kaia floats an emotionally and festive-filled Yamask who ironically boasted these emotions despite being a ghost with a mask of no emotion. Elin had his ectoplasmatic appendage grasped on the wing of a nervous wreck of a Taillow, who seemed nervous and kind on the very surface. All three of them had this stuffed thin bread on their other arm, wing, and whatever it was Elin had.

Elin waved, "Good Morning, Assault Squad!"

"Morning!" Kite greeted.

"Yo," Izol bobbed her head back.

"Assault Squad sounds really bad when you say it," Sera said. "But wassup?"

"So how's the base so far?! Everyone here is cool, right? Right?!" Elin asked, anxious from mask to his nonexistent toes. Izol and Sera stared at each other, then took small strides to get away from the crazy Yamask. Kaia and Skylar smacked themselves in the head.

"Geez, Elin, you don't jump around the bush, huh? You're gonna scare them away," Skylar mumbled.

"Of course not! We haven't had new recruits in so long that just seeing them is so exciting! Keegan can be a real pain the in you-know-what, but you'll be fine. Everyone's really excited to have new people aboard!" Elin explained. _Dude, chill. We're still thieves, no matter how you spin it._

"Anything that'll help us fight the Phantasma Syndicate is a plus in our book. Artemis knows how to pick them, so we're really curious as to what you guys are capable of," Kaia paraphrased. She gave an examination to the wraps she, Elin, and Skylar had with them. She smiled, "We actually have something to give you guys as a welcome gift."

"What is it?" Kite inquired.

The three of the soldiers approached the three bandits, each presenting items of food stuffed inside a thin bread wrap. Izol sniffed Elin's present. She scratched her chin, "It doesn't smell rancid. Umm… thanks." Izol took the wrap from the Yamask, but she waited for the others to accept their gift.

Skylar's nervousness wore her down. The wrap in her head was about ready to shake right off her wings. Skylar just shoved the food wrap to Kite's beefy chest. Nervous sweat slowly went down the side of her face. She gulped, "Sorry! I'm really really really sorry! Please forgive me!"

Kite accepted her present, though the Flygon couldn't have left it at that, to Skylar's dismay. He asked, though confused, "What for?"

The Taillow fiddled with her blue flight appendages, "Well you see, I hope we didn't hurt you too bad. I mean. I mean. Imeanimeanimeanimean, you almost got killed because of me. I'm really sorry that I attacked you how I did!"

"You're apologizing for doing your job?" Sera asked with an intimidating leer.

Skylar swallowed a whole mess of spit when she witnessed the Fire-element. Her heart beat pumped a little faster than before. She started twitching. Her vice stuttered, "W-w-well y-y-you s-s-ee-e…"

Elin yanked Skylar away from the Flygon, "She just hates confrontation. Since she's partially responsible if you were killed, it would be pretty bad if she was responsible for killing one of her comrades."

"Oh…" Kite said. The judgment of Skylar's character drove through his mind. The draconian fully assessed where the small bird was going with her apology. Realizing the state of mind Skylar put herself in, he gave her his one of his bright smiles, "Well that's fine!"

Shocked at his answer, Skylar asked, "Really? I mean, you almost died back there…."

"But I'm not dead right now, aren't I? You're fine; you were doing your job. There's no harm in that, is there? After all, I was just impaled."

Sera glared. Really? You were just impaled. Give me a break. That's as bad as saying we just got our asses kicked at Bell Tower.

Skylar's once innate nervousness and sorrow shifted to wonder and joy. Knowing that Kite truly did not mind what she did told miles about the type of person he is. Skylar found him gentle and sweet, a concept foreign to other Dragon-elements she came across. Skylar bowed, "Thank you so much. I know I shouldn't apologize for performing my job, but I didn't want any bad dirt between us. Thank you so so so much for accepting my apology! It means a lot."

Izol clutched her arms around Sera. She quipped, hoping to ease Skylar, "Nah, you're good. Sera's just being hard on you." Her pink-ridden arms enclosed around Sera's small physique. Izol maliciously stared into Sera's eyes with a smile, "Aren't you, Sera?" Izol's strange facade covered her threats with simple jokes, but it didn't hide the fact that the Quilava gasped for air.

"R-r-right. I was kidding. Let me go now, please!" Sera revised his previous statement. Izol let go of Sera.

"Better?" Izol berated.

_You just tried to kill me, you asshole._ Sera inhaled to compensate for the lost air.

"Wow, you guys are pretty cool for a group of thieves!" Elin complimented. And how the hell do thieves usually act? Sera berated to himself, tempted to let that note anger him. Though he was scared to receive the bad end of Izol's mood, so the rodent kept it shut.

Elin turned to Kaia only to notice that she still had a wrap in her possession. The masked Ghost-element noted, "Kaia, you still have his present. Are you gonna give it to him?"

Kaia discovered that she did in fact have her present to one of the thieves. Without second guessing herself, she scurried over to Sera's side and handed him her present. Sera, though more than just confused, peeked at it before saying anything. He'd be lying if he denied that he didn't grin, even if a little bit.

"Thank you," he said.

Izol dangled her present before her. She raised her right eyebrow, "Thanks and all, but what is this?"

Kaia beamed, "It's a breakfast wrap! I thought we should be the ones to make them and give them to you."

"And what do we do with it?" Sera asked.

"You eat it," Elin responded.

"Really? You eat this thing?" Kite questioned in return.

All three soldiers of the Infiltration Squad of Liberty Base made a quick nod of their heads. Sera seemed very suspicious of whatever they gave them. Maybe this is some prank and they poisoned it? I don't trust this. "I'm not sure… I never had something like this be-"

"Screw caution; I'm starving!" Izol interrupted. Her fangs clamped on the bread and the rest of her mouth followed. The simplicity of the bite- soft and easily devoured, Izol's favorite kind of food. The Sharp Claw gave one chew. Her taste buds reacted. And then it all made sense.

Izol's golden eyes began to sparkle. A tiny run on drool slid down her lips. She huffed like a begging puppy. She opened her mouth- which was full of clumps of savory bread and squish eggs, succulent meats, vegetables, and even the sweet delectability of a strange nectar. Izol spoke, slurring her words with a full mouth, "This is so good! Who knew that all this stuff was like…. it was like… really good together."

Izol scarfed down the rest of the breakfast wrap she received; she even licked her fingers clean of the grease. She pounded her chest. A large burp came out. Izol directed her attention to Kite and Sera, "Come on, I promise it's good."

Kite hesitantly nibbled an itty-bitty bite. His red draconic eyes flustered with glee. He chomped off another bite, "It IS good. I mean... like really good."

Everyone in the room were now anxious for Sera's reaction. Sera frowned, "I still don't trust it. What if it's like a slow poison or something?"

Izol sniggered, reaching for Sera's breakfast, "Pfft, if you ain't eating it, then can I have it?"

Sera yanked it back, "No, I still want it. Just not sure."

Kaia blushed, "You don't have to eat it if you don't want to."

Izol slapped Sera on the back. The pain nearly caused him to spout his flames, which could've easily unnerved Skylar. _Ouch. Care to give me a warning before you hit me for once?!_ Izol winked at Kaia, "Sera's always been like this when it came to food. He's a weirdo."

"Who in their right mind would reject food?!" Elin insulted, disguised as a question.

"Shaddup, I'll eat the damn thing," Sera murmured. He didn't think even twice to guzzle down the petite bite of this so-called "Breakfast Wrap". Sera grizzled in small quantities, feeling hesitant to just swallow the damn thing. There were squishy bits, that's for sure. The silky texture of cheese. Greasy and succulent array of meats. It all surprisingly blended well with one another. Sera nodded his head in slight astonishment. _What a pleasant surprise_, he thought.

Sera viewed upwards from his food. He jumped back. The sight of Izol, Kite, Kaia, Elin, and Skylar awaiting in anticipation creeped him out. Elin fidgeted, "Well?"

"Well what?" Sera added.

"How is it? Is it cooked all the way?" Kaia inquired.

Sera swallowed his bite. He stroked the bottom of his chin, "You cooked it all the way. Umm…" The Quilava elongated his reach to Kaia. In the grasp of his furthermost reach, the Breakfast Wrap lies. "You can have the rest Kaia."

Kaia took her present back. Her expression drowned in saddening thoughts, "What? Y-y-you don't want it?"

Izol overreached the Quilava, reaching her hands to the breakfast wrap that the gloomy Vaporeon. She licked her soft lips. "Let me have it, dammit!"

"No," Sera refused. "Now get off of me or I'll scorch you."

Izol poked out a pouty lip as she inched away from Sera, "Asshole."

Kite assembled the pieces running through her head. His conclusion gave her the reason and confidence to speak. Kite slapped the Quilava in his back with his beefy palms, "Wait! I thought you liked it. Why are you giving it up?"

"First of all… OW! Second of all… Kaia made it. Besides, I can't eat this. The Corporal take anymore time. I'm really sorry Kaia. I really wish I had the time to eat it in the first place," Sera explained.

The dainty Vaporeon smiled. A small slick of a tear came down her face, but Kaia wiped it away before anyone really noticed. The fact that Sera didn't want it because he didn't have the time instead of just not liking it enriched Kaia with more happiness. She shoved the wrap back at Sera, though he didn't really want it. She mustered a cute laugh, "You're really are a dunce. It's a wrap, silly; we made it so you could eat it on the go!"

"I can eat this on my way? Are you sure?"

Kaia nodded.

Sera grinned. He peered at the food, "Alright! Thanks!"

His gratitude brought Kaia to a blush. Elin exclaimed with proud expression, "We're your seniors, we'll always look at for you guys! You just have to promise not to betray us, okay?"

Kite rubbed the space around his neck, "Haha. I don't think we can actually afford to betray you guys. I definitely don't want to go back to The Junkyard."

"I never wanna see that place again. They can't even serve any good. And that wrap is better than whatever the hell they served, so you really don't have to worry 'bout us," Izol informed.

"Yeah... about that..." Skylar started. Her beak were viewing down at their bedroom door. Taillow stuttered, "Y-y you s-s see."

"What? What is it?" Sera replied, off-put by Skylar's hesitation.

"You see, the thing is…" Skylar hastened to add.

"Skylar, it's okay; just take a deep breath," Elin comforted.

Skylar inhaled. And then her stress released with a crackle and an exhale. Izol, Kite, and Sera all sat with the looming matters of bad news in the back of their heads. Skylar found her words and informed the newcomers, "Keegan is a Corporal. He's in charge of a three-man squadron. And his position is one that takes heavy responsibility: Full-On Assault. Since it's such a hard job and it demands a lot…" Skylar paused for a second. And then she dropped the bomb-

"_Most of his squads **die** within their first month_."

Sera's heart skipped a beat. He didn't bother to check, but Sera knew that his friends felt the same way. _In their first month? Did we just sign up for a job that we're gonna die in?!_

Skylar continued, "Full-On Assault requires that the squad takes on the dangerous missions that will inch us closer to defeating the Phantasma Syndicate. It means heading some of our largest battles or eliminating enemy threats too great for standard grunts. You see where I'm going with this?"

"We got the short end of the stick?" Izol joked.

Elin nodded his head to deny her, "No. It just means that it's easier for you to be put in situations that would seem suicide. The other squads don't have to worry as much. If you're not equip to battle, be it mentally or physically… you will die."

Kaia went to say, "We're soldiers. It's what we have to do. Any of us could die as atonement for our actions. It's not impossible for us to lose against the enemy. Same goes for you too."

"We know, we already took the oa-"

"I know you took the oath that you are willing to die for us. But you were in no position to deny us otherwise," Skylar interrupted with a sharp scold. Her voice soothed, "I know you've been making a lot of promises lately, but can you make one more?"

"We guess? It depends on what it is," Kite answered.

"Lay it on us," Izol mused.

Skylar started, "Okay. I know you guys are thieves or whatever and the likelihood of you living is slim. I know that you said you were willing to die for each other and for Poldra. I know that we said that we can all die at any moment, but I honestly am getting tired of seeing Keegan's squad die. I like you guys.. a lot, so please promise us that you guys will come back every day- above the ground instead of buried in it."

"What did I just say?" Izol snipped.

"I understand that it's a huge promise to take but-"

"What did I just say?" Izol repeated.

Elin mumbled to Kai, "What did she say?"

Izol sigh, though it wasn't too long before she had her trademark, malicious grin as always, "I said that you didn't have to worry about us. We're fine. We don't need to promise that we're not going to die because we honestly don't need to worry about dying."

"How can you be so sure?" Skylar inquired, skeptical.

Kite answered for the Luciform, "There's things that us three have been through that's been much much much worse and here we are."

Sera added, "We've been beaten, lost, discriminated against, depressed subject to sexual harassment, caved in trying to find human junk, stolen from, kidnapped, smacked in the middle of a gang war, targeted by a strong Pokémon, tired from climbing a tower, smacked by The Council's army, impaled in the stomach, imprisoned at a maximum security, tortured by a cruel Warden, and put in a situation to join an army. And you know what?"

Izol shot a self-fulfilling grin, "We're _still_ alive. Even after all of that, we kept moving on. In our home town, we made a name for ourselves because we kept pressing on."

"_The Bandits of Aquacorde_," Sera stated.

Kite joined along, "We were thieves, but we didn't forget about the people who we steal for. We've been through too much crap to call it quits. As much as you want to tell us that we could die easily, we won't go dow without a fight.

Izol continued, "Our methods may be unorthodox, but that the end of the day, we get the job done. We don't expect us to be exempt from the horrors this world has for us. Because we're no God and we're no different from any of you: survivors. No more. No less."

Skylar wanted to laugh at something that cheesy, not having to think too imaginatively to know where they pulled that one from, "You guys are hilarious. I see. You don't have to promise us anything. But if any of you guys die, I'll kill you."

"Aren't we holding them up?" asked a concern Kaia. Sera's blood red pupils dilated. _Oh shit, I completely forgot. Keegan is going to kill us!_

Elin flicked himself on the mask, "Wow! I can't believe we just set them back! Keegan is going to be absolutely livid when they arrive at White Forest. You guys should really really really really really really go!"

"We're dead," Kite feared.

"Not if we hurry up and fly there at full force we won't!" Izol idealized.

"Then let's go, slowpokes!" Sera rushed.

These bandits did not bother to give their regards, but instead darted themselves out their bedroom with their breakfast tucked neatly in their hands. Sooner than not, a creak of the door squeaked through the facility, indicating their leave. The Infiltration Squad of Elin, Skylar, and Kaia were more than surprised by their actions.

"Woah, they sure know how to run," Kaia commented.

"They're bandits, of course they can," Elin joked with little punch. "You think they already left?"

"I… think? What do we do now?" wondered the Taillow.

Saki peeked her head in their door and finished, "We report what happened."

* * *

**Break Room, Liberty Base**

"So how did it go?" Quota did not waste time and just went ahead and asked the three soldiers as they stepped in the recreational area. Saki was with the three soldiers too. The other soldiers outside of the Infiltration Squad awaited Izol's, Sera's, and Kite's fates. Quota emphasized, "Did they pass?"

Saki cleared her throat, "They accepted the gift, showing that they are willing to trust their peers. When confronted about the reality of the men in Keegan's squad, they remained calm and collected. This showed that when faced with extreme situations, they are capable of retaining their sanity."

Curly seemed to the on the edge of her seat, herself. She magnified the situation, inching closer and fidgeting, "Well, what about the promise? How'd they react to the promise part?"

Saki validates, "They did not give me the answer I wanted."

Curly yelled, "**NO**!"

"**YES**!" Hiyono flipped in the air with triumph.

"However-" Saki's words prematurely halted Hiyono's victory dance. "Though they said that they weren't going to die despite taking the oath that they were willing to die, they did state that they have been through a lot of hell to get where they are. They even quoted me. This shows that they know the feeling of loss and defeat, and that they are willing to learn from their mistakes to grow. In a way, they answered the question exactly how it should be answered."

"So they passed," Skylar summarized.

"And with flying colors to add to that!" Elin stated.

Kaia rejoiced "They move on to the second stage!"

Curly danced, "YES! Guess who's scrubbing my room?! His name starts with H and ends with O! It's Hiyono."

Hiyono let the salt settle in his stomach, "That's no fair! They get a free pass for answering the promise question differently. I want a recount! This is blasphemy!"

Speedy shrugged, "It's your fault for making the bet. You're the only one from our squad that honestly thought they wouldn't make it."

"Telling Hiyono to think more logically is the equivalent of yelling at a mountain to jump. It just… doesn't happen," Henricks insulted. Acran lightly pecks him with her flower, so it didn't really affect the Abra under any circumstance.

"That was mean, Henricks."

"The truth is oftentimes mean. It doesn't it's not the truth."

Hiyono garnered a couple of his leaves, prepared to throw each of them at Henricks's forehead, "Listen here, you little sh-"

"ANYWAYS," Elin interrupted the banter. All the privates turned to him, "How do you think they're gonna do on the second stage? Think Keegan's gonna make their heads spin?"

"Most likely," predicted Corporal Zendan. "But so far, these three bandits have surprised me. They will definitely be surprised when they meet him. Especially how he's going to introduce himself. I wish I could see the action unfold for myself."

"Same here," Saki revealed. "What's surprising me most is that they were able to change so much in the short time span they had at The Junkyard. It's not everyday that we find soldiers of promise. In all honesty, I believe that these are the Pokémon we've been looking to properly fill the holes in Keegan's squad."

"I personally find it brilliant that these three thieves of justice are bonded so strategically that they cover each other's weaknesses," Myst added. "Has anyone noticed?"

"Noticed what?" Speedy wondered, drawing blanks.

"Their elements blend in perfect harmony. Izol's fast, powerful, and physical Ice Punches defeats Kite's Ground and Dragon-elemental typing. Though, Sera's flames extinguishes Izol's Ice-element. And Kite is able to both resist and defeat Sera's Fire-element with a swift Earthquake. One is fast and physical. The other is fast and special. And the last one has a balanced blend of both."

Zendan nodded, "Really now? I never really thought about that, what an interesting conclusion. Perhaps that is their secret to their connection."

Saki snickered and said, "Probably not, Zendan. Most likely a coincidence. Though it makes you wonder how they became who they were in the first place."

"What interesting hypotheses. I guess now we wait for those three to either pass or fail the second test. Saki, if you would…"

"On it." Saki made her trek past the other soldiers in the room. At the very end of the room is a small whiteboard. Metal bars are attached to this board, which would serve a tray of dry erase markers. Saki chose the blue marker and read the whiteboard's contents:

**The Mark of a Soldier: Initiation Test**

**The Mark of the Promise**

**The Mark of the Battle**

**The Mark of the Literate**

**The Mark of the Citizens**

**The Final Mark**

Saki struck a long, blue slash through "_The Mark of the Promise_". She hid the tip of the marker within its cap once more and placed it in its original position on the metallic tray. Saki felt hopeful that these new soldiers would make it out okay. But for now…

**_Only time will tell._**

* * *

**_Review Replies_**

**GreenSonic: Glad you have been enjoying the story. Kudos to you for realizing that these two are heavily connected. I suspected that you would. But because I am a complete asshole and I can's spoil anything, I will say... maybe to all your guesses. ;) Thanks for reading!**

**Ckbrothers: Thanks for reading. As with GreenSonic... maybe. **


	23. Chapter 13: A Soldier's Mark (Part 2)

_**A/N: **Happy Satur-Sunday! The second part is here! This was honestly pretty tough to write on account of school and all that nonsense! Though, through some miraclouous throughlinel I managed to make this the same length as the last chapter. And I will say, the next part will be prettty awesome. After all, I still have some OCs to show ;) With that said, **ENJOY :)**_

* * *

**White Forest, Unova**

White Forest is what you would call your run-of-the-mill; your standard; the overall unappealing nature that forests are usually known for. The large Whitehollow tree towers above the three new soldiers, hovering over a substantial blackened shadow that's essentially a godsend with the abnormal sunshine. This place had seen its fair share of damage as well. Trees were oftentimes not even on their stumps; Plush leaves lie dead on the floor- brown and black; The dirt had no chance in trying to mask away the ash.

This large field had been accompanied by a large silence. Izol, Kite, and Sera sat down on the swaying grass, letting the tips of the blades tickle them on their bottoms. Sera smudged this hands all over this face, revealing that he is growing more and more impatient. Izol passed the time by slicing off the tops of the plant life. Kite had his troubles waiting as well. He observed his two friends do their thing, while examining the forest around him.

Izol kept twitching with anticipation- or just plain impatience. She grabbed a fistful of grass and crushed it. This cannot be happening right now, she thought.

"Ugh! WHAT THE HELL?! He said he'd meet us at White Forest! And the dude isn't even here!" Izol complains. At this point, Izol is seething with bottled up anger.

"Maybe he got tired of waiting on us," suggested Kite.

Critical thoughts circulated throughout Izol's mind. It definitely didn't make her calmer. _What did we do wrong to make him leave in the first place? We're innocent!_

"This is so annoying! This is worse than having to wait for Sera to get something done!"

"We've literally only been here for ten minutes," Sera sighs.

Izol gave herself a brief moment to pause. _Has it really been only ten minutes?_ The Sharp Claw Pokémon glowered, "Are you kidding me?"

Kite responded with a nod, "Nope."

Izol shoveled through the mounds of dirt and ash in her cute, little pink palms. She had just about enough of this bull. If she had anything to say about, she would leave.

"This is bullshit. Why do we have to wait when we're not late?" she asked in a nasal tone.

"Because we were late to begin with," Kite repeated.

"We probably would've made it on time if the Infiltration Squad didn't hold us up," Sera imagined.

The Quilava knew very well that every time he even as much as brought up the idea that they flew all the way over to the other side of the sector, Izol would get more pissed. He enjoyed every second of her agony.

Izol clenched her fist, giving them a quick shake to Sera, "Don't remind me again or I'll knock you out."

Sera defensively raised his paws, "Sorry. Sorry. I'll stop. You sound like me when you're waiting on someone."

Though Sera had a self-fulfilling smirk plastered right on his cheeks, he allowed himself a few seconds to slowly back away from his deranged friend.

Kite ripped off another shred of his breakfast burrito. The Flygon had been mildly entertained seeing his those two knuckleheads nearly kill each other. He spoke his next question, with spits of his food jumping out of his mouth, "When do you think he's gonna come?"

"As soon as he finds a mate who can actually stand him," Sera joked. He rose his shoulders with an awfully gleeful take on a smile, insinuating something.

Izol immediately stopped scooping up dirt and grass to give Sera a harsh glare.

She grinned and pointed at him with her two pointer digits, "I got it!"

A disappointed Flygon snickered and went back to his wrap, "You guys are ridiculous. I'm surprised you two aren't mates by now."

Izol and Sera's eyes spread wide. They both possessed a tiny brush of red between the spaces of their nose and upper lip. It felt a little on the warm side too. Sera jumped back, "With her?!"

"With him?!"

"N-uh. Izol's my friend and all, but she's extremely abusive! You know how many times she's hit me?" Sera defended.

"Yeah! Besides, Sera's an annoying little, fire rat anyways!" Izol berated.

The Quilava's ears perked up. Tiny speckles of orange flame leaped off his body. Sera heard those two insulting words. He bestowed upon Izol a hard scowl, "What the hell did you call me?"

"I called you a fire rat. I mean, that's what you are, right?"

Like a lighter igniting a cigarette, Sera's started to become lit. Small fumes slowly escaped from his body. He murmured to the Sneasel, "I am not a fire rat, get it straight..."

"But what sort of scruffy little Pokemon that can curl itself into little balls isn't a rat? You're just a different type of rat."

Sera's face is red. He is this close from quite literally erupting. He barked viciously, "Call me a rat one more time, Izol. You have one more time, Izol. I swear."

Izol smirked. She said it very slow so that Sera could hear it clearly, "Fiiiiiirrrrreeeeee Raaaaaaaatttttttt."

The sun itself could've shown its bright rays directly on Sera's face and you couldn't make any quantifiable differences. Izol rubbed her hands together maniacally. She knew what she did. The naughty Sneasel couldn't have felt better for herself. Izol stepped back and let his behavior do the rest.

As expected, Sera's inner flames enlighten into a glorious flame pit. The patch of wildlife around him was no match as Sera's fire burned them all into an indelicate crisp.

Kite smeared his forehead, "What did you do, Izol?"

"Killing time. This is entertaining!" Izol patted herself on the back, "Entertaining for me at least."

"DO I LOOK LIKE SOME GODDAMN RATTATA TO YOU?! DON'T GROUP WITH ME WITH THOSE PIECES OF FILTHY TRASH WHO ONLY SCAVENGES! I AM A WALKING VOLCANO AND I CAN SCORCH YOU IN TEN SECONDS FLAT! STOP CALLING ME A FIRE RAT FOR FUCK SAKE!"

"Pipe down! It's only a joke," Izol rolled her eyes. She faced her fellow Flygon and stuck out her thumb at the raging Quilava. "See? This is exactly why we're not mates. Sera seriously has anger issues." She turned back to the steaming rodent, sticking her tongue out, "Sera scares me. He's such a scary guy. Just look at those flames!"

"Me?! I have anger issues?! That's rich coming from you!"

"What! I don't anger issues. That... thing hasn't shown up in two years now!"

"So what? I'm not about to stand here and take shit from a Sneasel who can literally dice anything!"

"If I didn't dice anything, then we'd be dead, idiot!"

"Idiot? I carried your ass when you didn't know what the hell you were doing, remember?"

"Oh sure. You have to hold that over me, huh? Why don't you just drop dead and end your shitty life already?!"

"Are you seriously telling me to kill myself? That's fucking rich!"

"Asshole!"

"Freak!"

The two Pokémon wanted to tear each other's faces off. Both of them inched closer to the other. The iris on their eyeballs glints a hint of their bloodlust. _Oh, he wants to see me mad, huh? I'll show him whose a freak!_ Izol let the thought simmer in her mind, grasping on the grudge. Her golden eyes dimmed- in fact- her irises were gradually transforming to a red pigment. Slowly and surely, Izol let the grudge consume her.

"AHEM!"

Izol's concentration snapped. Her eyes returned to her normal golden color. She and Sera both stared at Kite. They shouted in unison, "What?!"

The two Pokémon clasped their mouths shut at the sight of him. An Infernape with charcoal black skin instead of the plain tan. His hair- if you could call it that- rests between multiple pigments of blue. A blue flame in black skin. This Infernape is literally a coal drowned with lighter fluids. All of that, and he seemed oddly disappointed, yet amused- an odd mixture of emotions.

Sera gasped. He checked him out. He never had seen embers that great. Izol was less so on the amazed side as she was on the intimidated side. _This guy can put a huge dent on me if I'm not careful._

Izol stuttered on her words, "H-h-h-hi there! How long have you been standing there?"

He glares at her with his bright violet eyes, "Long enough."

Izol gulps._ It's so hard to get a read off him if he stares at me like that._

She, Sera, and Kite takes a step back from their supposed Corporal. They couldn't hide their sheer brittle natures if they hid it with a blanket. The way this Infernape held himself. The aura of power he gave off. The dignified nature of him. It all felt surreal.

Sera and Izol had felt this way before. Since their climb at Bell Tower, those two in particular never experienced an aura of true capability until they met Saki. And now they are getting that same irritable nature in this Infernape, their Corporal.

The Infernape halted his baseless stares to watch the three Pokémon form in a horizontal line. Izol started on the left of the line; Kite remained on the right of their formation. Keegan crossed his arms and grunted, "I really thought Myst was playin' with me when she said that Artemis first picked you guys up."

"What? Is she talkin' shit or something?!" Izol asked defensively.

"Nah. Nah. She informed me that a Luciform and her thieving-ass friends had joined our reigns in the Liberty Base. I would've never imagined that'd I see another potentially powerful soldier since Tizak. Perhaps this is a horrible sign for things to come."

Kite raised his hand. Keegan stared at him, indicating that his presence has been spotted. He lowered his hand. Kite cleared his raspy voice with a cough and spoke, "Um, Kite here. Don't mean to interrupt or be that guy, but what's a Luciform?"

"Glad you asked, Kite. A Luciform is exactly what Izol and I are."

"What I am? What am I? Is it because I don't look normal or something?"

"You're too stupid for your own good," Keegan berated. He sighed, "It does have to do with what you look like, what _else_ would it be?"

Sera scratched his head. A thought drifted through his mind, "Wait a minute. You say 'Luciform' like there's more than one. Are you telling me that's there more Pokémon like Izol out there? She isn't the only one?"

"There is?! I'm not the only one?" Izol's spirit illuminates.

Her spirit remained that bright that Izol could feel herself almost crying. She fidgets with happiness. Izol gazes at her pink palms- colors that she thought had been a burden for so long. But the same thoughts rushed through her head. _I'm not the only freak. I'm normal. There are others. There are others just like me._

"Izol, are you okay?" Kite worried. The other three from their perspectives saw Izol cry. They could only assume the worst had happened. Izol responded direct stares.

Izol beamed. She cleaned the tears falling from her cheeks, "No, I'm okay. It's just that I'm so happy that-"

"There are people out there who could relate to you," Keegan finished.

Izol blushed as her vision turned to the forest floor, "Yeah. Some Pokémon has no idea how much hell I've been through because of how I look. As it turns out, Pokémon really hate you if you don't fit in. Besides Sera and Kite, no one's really cared for me."

"So to find out that you aren't the only minority… it makes you happy, doesn't it?" Keegan followed up.

Izol held her hand to the back of her neck. She faced frontwards with the same blush as before. As much as she tried to play it off cool, Izol still detained her light embarrassment, "Something like that. But yeah, it makes me a little happy."

"Well, I'm _**not**_ here to make you happy! Formation soldiers!" Keegan demanded.

Izol flinched back. Well, that escalated quickly. She tittered. "What's a formation?"

Keegan snarled, "Am I leading a group of idiots, here?! Feet together!"

Sera and Izol slapped their knees together, regardless of the pain it brought them for a split second.

"Back straight!"

The two young adults stiffened their backs in a straight, yet stable prose.

"Eyes up!"

They fixated their peripheral vision at Keegan and only Keegan. Their glances went from expressive to near dead from how intimidated they were of Keegan.

A small swallow of spit from the newbies later, Keegan grinned, "Hmph. So you think you're hot shit because you got out The Junkyard huh?" The blue, flaming Infernape began pacing left to right in front of the three bandits. "Well, I'm here to tell you that you are in fact **NOT** hot shit! In fact, I guarantee that I have more experience in my pinky than you all have in your entire existence!"

"My name is Keegan! But you will refer to me as Corporal Keegan until the rest of your life. If I ask something that garners a response, I better hear a 'Yes, sir'! Do I make myself clear soldiers?!"

"Yes, sir," the three chanted.

Keegan nodded, "Good. Good. You may be wondering what my wrap sheet is like, but fortunately for you all, I'm gonna tell ya'."

"Actually… we've never asked-"

Keegan shot a stare that did all the talking for him. Kite knew better, so he just stopped trying. He sighed, "Sorry, sir. Go on."

He rolled his eyes. The Infernape went back to pacing in a horizontal fashion. "Keegan. Species: Infernape. Rank: **B**. I was born a Chimchar with a defect that made my flames blue. Everyone looked upon me as a hero. Blue flames are said to be the ultimate sign of strength. And so I trained and trained and trained to become the best Infernape to have ever lived. I became a part of The Council's army at age fifteen. I would then fight in their army for nine years. I became the second member of Liberty Base three years into my career with the powerful Artemis. She is a great soldier and my closest partner. Not only that, but her beauty confused foes into a false sense of security. After Artemis was established as Sergeant, she appointed me as her first Corporal. I would go on to train the best soldiers in The Council's army. And the rest is history. Over my career, I have killed three hundred and forty five soldiers of the enemy. I have gone through forty-two three-man squadrons. And even-"

_*SNORE*_

Sera had already been snoozing away in his sleep. His head bobbed down to the right side of his shoulders. A bit of drool ran down his mouth. Although Sera was still standing, his sloppiness and disrespect erked Keegan. He gritted his teeth.

**"WAKE YOUR ASS UP, SOLDIER!"**

An unsuspecting Sera felt his skull shrink in size. There were no shrink rays afoot. In fact, it was Keegan's claws strapped conveniently to his skull as he squeezed the everliving life out of the poor Quilava. The pain widened the sleeping Quilava's eyes. He yelped, "Ow! Ow! Ow! Come on, that really hurts!"

"You should've thought of that before you went to sleep! You want me to let you go?"

"Please?"

Keegan threw Sera by his skull into the dirt. "Next time, I won't be as generous. Get me?"

"Yes, sir," Sera mumbled in the dirt.

"You see, this is the problem with everyone these days. They don't give a Rattata's ass about respecting their seniors. But that's going to change. You wanna know why?"

"Yes, sir?" Izol answered. She's definitely divided on her answer. But a 'No' would mean that she'd get beaten, so Izol kept her rowdy mouth shut.

"Because as part of my squadron, the Full-On Assault squadron, I'm going to mold you into killing machines. You will be the best soldiers at Liberty Base. You will learn discipline; You will learn cooperation; You will find strength in more ways than one." Keegan aimed his next promise more so to Izol. His eyes challenged her with malicious intent. "You will be made humble."

Izol gulped hard._ Yep, he's not nice anymore. Why do I get stuck with the weirdos?_

Keegan smiled. He pointed his finger towards the sky. His tone went from a hard, authoritative tone to a softer one, "But for now, you will learn the basics of self-defense."

Sera popped his head out of the dirt, "Self-defense? Like fighting?"

Their commanding officer commenced his pacing yet again._ I think he's doing it to fuck with us now. Asshole._ Keegan began twirling his pointer in a circular manner, "Tell me, Kite. On the fierce battlefield, how does the majority of soldiers die?"

"Doesn't it depend on where you are?" Kite guessed.

"Alright, let me rephrase. Let's say this battlefield is just an ordinary field. There's an open space that wouldn't interfere with the combatants, it was leveled on all sides. No two sides had the advantage. Let's say for instance that this battlefield was set in a clearing in a gigantic forest. Invaders were trying to infiltrate a large tree, while the defenders are doing all they can to defend it. Now, in this theoretical battlefield, what does soldier death come down to?"

Izol and Kite had goop for brains. They reminisce on his question confused. Not at all were they piecing together Keegan's scenario. It flew over their heads that the Infernape Corporal had been referring to the exact forest all four of them were currently standing on. _What a bunch of idiots,_ Sera would think to himself.

Being the only one who understood where he was coming from, the Quilava placed his two-sense in, "No such thing exists. There's always going to be someone with an advantage and disadvantage."

"Exactly! You're sharp in your intuition. And I like my soldiers sharp. You're right, Sera. Good job!"

_I was going to say that_, Izol lied to herself.

"In the scenario I provided, the invaders were at the disadvantage. Not only were the invaders tasked with taking a single tree in a large forest, they were at the mercy of the defenders who knew the land better and had the manpower to overtake them. The primary loss of soldiers is when they were at a disadvantage due to the pressures of the territory, they were not properly trained to fight at disadvantages. Even in the most innocent seeming fields, the advantage is always in the one who is familiar with it. If you are at a disadvantage because you don't know the land, you will most likely lose a battle."

"Uh… can you say that again, but in words I understand?" Izol requested.

Keegan frowned at her, "Life is not going make things simple for you, Luciform. You better stop lagging behind or you'll get left."

_Fine, be that way. I see you._

He didn't accept Izol's requests, instead just went back to his teachings, "That is the first of five requirements of becoming a great warrior: being able to recognize and take advantage of the battlefield."

"And what are the other four?" Kite inferred.

Keegan smirked, "I'm glad you asked." The Infernape spreads his legs about a shoulder's distance from each other. His right arm and fist is fixed in a diagonal position towards the ground. On the other hand, his left arm is bent so that his elbows sticks outwards and Keegan's fist is directed right towards the soldiers.

_Now he's speaking my kinda language_. Izol grinned right back, "So that's how it's gonna be?" The Sneasel cracked her knuckles with the ends of her fingertips. Exhilaration ran through her body like a river of power.

"I never had the chance to assess your abilities. I'm curious as to how you bandits survived for this long. You're 'bout to receive combat training from yours truly. Any questions?"

"Are you really sure about this? I mean, I really don't wanna to hurt you," Izol gloated.

"Izol, are you really sure about this? He's a Corporal for a reason. This is exactly what happened to you against Saki, right?" Kite emphasized.

Izol smacked her lips. What sort of question is that? "Pfft. Corporal's just a title. We can take this guy. He's probably all talk to begin with. Besides, Saki caught me off guard. You're with me, right?"

"I mean, it's not like I have a choice."

"Awesome! Sera, you with us too?"

Sera spoke- his voice now afflicted with annoyance and worry, "Like Kite said, I don't get a choice. Let's do this. Hopefully we don't end up being the three-hundred and forty-sixth, seventh, and eighth enemies he's killed."

Izol took their acceptance into account. She laughed at herself. This guy's serious. Alright. I'd hate to humiliate my commanding officer, but oh well. Izol shouted, "This is your last chance! I'm itching to beat you senseless, but are you sure you want to do this?! Embarrassing my commanding officer on his first day would just…. be…" Izol cracked her knuckles and snarled maliciously, "…awful…"

Keegan nodded, "I don't mind. If you hadn't notice by now, White Forest is a deserted area. Whenever you're ready, feel free to attack with everything you got." His next words were meant with the sole purpose of alluding himself with an intimidating facade. His flames sparked; he gave his sardonic grin, "By all means, I won't hold back."

That makes things a lot easier on me!

Sera began to talk strategy, "If all three of us go at him at the same time, then maybe he-"

Rushing soot shot up from the air due to Izol's departure. She's darting her way over to Keegan, who had still been in his battle stance. Murderous intent sparkled her fluorescent eyeballs. Sera only realized Izol's "plan" when she was halfway through with it. He yelled in panic, "What the hell are you doing, Izol?!"

"Don't worry, it's only gonna take one punch!"

Izol prepared her Ice Punch on her right hand. The Sharp Claw Pokémon literally had sheet and snow hardened and manifested in her clutches. Izol picked up her pace more towards Keegan… yet he didn't move an inch. Her vision squints.

Her irritation causes her to shout, "You don't have to move then, it only makes kicking your ass easy!"

Keegan waited.

Kite shouted, "Izol! He's up to something!"

Izol drove her fist forward. Keegan shoots a smirk. As her fist barely connect with his face, Keegan clamped his palms around Izol's wrist.

An awe-stricken Izol took a moment to take everything that just happened. Not only did he just catch her hand in the middle of her attack, despite the force, but he did it at near neck break speeds.

He's faster **AND** stronger than her.

_Well isn't that just fucking fantastic_, Izol thought. Keegan flares his fist with flames and strikes Izol squarely in her face.

"You're gonna have to better than that!" Keegan shouts. He pushes the Sneasel back with his raw strength. Izol could feel the nerves in her face crunch up in pain. A super effective hit would do that to a gal.

Kite catches the launched Izol, "Are you okay?!"

Izol's face is lit with a red bruise and smoke. She blinked twice. Kite rings her whole body in trepidation, "Izol! Speak to me! Come on, get up!"

"Ow," Izol said.

"Geez, did you really just do that?!" Sera berated. Izol got up with a wiggle of her head. She slapped herself on her black and pink forehead. Izol sighed, knowing the idiotic play she made at that moment.

"I know. I know. I'm being stupid. Just thought I'd catch him off guard."

"HA! Catch me off guard?! That's cute. Check your element. You rushed into a Pokémon capable of blowing your ass into Distortion in a matter of seconds. I had no reason to be afraid of you, dummy! All you wanted was the thrill of throwing the first punch." Keegan points his index finger up, signifying the number one. "This brings us to our first lesson: _never ever EVER rush into your opponent without prior information, especially if they have a elemental advantage._"

Izol wipes the blood from her nose, "Bite me, asshole."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not a Dark-element. Biting down is your sort of thing, Izol," Keegan poked fun.

Izol bit down on at her teeth, "Alright, let me at him!"

Kite held her back, "No Izol, he's just antagonizing you. Keep a cool head... you're acting like Sera right now."

"THANK YOU! I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE MAKING SENSE HERE!" Sera praised.

Izol took a breath, "You're right. I'm acting like a hothead. Okay. I'm cool. Let's just beat this guy and be done with it. I'm tired of him already. We in this together?"

"That was the plan until you rushed in," Sera continued to complain.

Izol growled, "Shut up, Sera."

"Yeah, shut up."

Sera rolled his eyes. "Whatever. What do we know about Keegan, if we aren't going in blindly?"

"He has Fire Punch, that's for damn sure," Izol whimpered, rubbing her bloody nose.

"Salty?" Sera asked.

"It hurts!"

"Ahem!" Keegan coughed. "I'm not getting any younger here. I still have more lessons for you three. Don't tell me that you're backing out now. I thought we were having fun."

Izol pointed at the Infernape with her , "The only one's who gonna have fun is us dancing on your beaten body. We have a plan!"

Kite crinkled an eyebrow, "We do?"

"Yep! We _sure_ do! Man, our plan is so great! You have no idea what it is, either."

"We don't have a plan," Sera whispered.

"Yes, we do!" Izol violently whispered in return.

Keegan bends his elbows in a kick boxing formation. His legs are shoulder lengths apart and his arms are held close to his chest. The Corporal is ready for the bandits but were they ready for him. That's the question that especially struck with Sera.

Sera glowered, "Are we improvising?"

Kite tried to shed light on the odd situation, "Give us credit, it's what we do best. Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Sera sighed. "This won't work. I can guarantee that it won't. But we're gonna to lose whether we planned or not."

"Don't you have faith in us, Sera?" Izol asked.

"I do," he answered. A snark remark plays in his head._ I just don't have faith you._

* * *

**Petalburg Woods, Hoenn**

It's been a while since I've been in here. That thought came across a Servine making his way through one of his favorite forest in the Hoenn sector. For all the work he did for the Black Thorns, it seemed that he never had the chance to settle down in a place he called… home. So many good memories. Yet, so many awful memories.

"When is your arm going to be functional again?" Leaf queries. Blade still had a stub for what his dominant arm was. It made wearing his typical hoodie extremely awkward. Therefore, Blade had temporarily ditched his hoodie for his normal look- a mix between blue and green- shiny and normal.

Blade humorously shook his arm stub, "Come on! You don't like seeing your brother with one arm?"

Leaf chuckles, "It is pretty funny."

"I know it would be. Don't worry, I can use Aerial Ace on my left arm if anything comes up."

"Isn't that still inconvenient? Not possessing your signature attacks and not wearing your hoodie? Are you trying to get assaulted by some Poison-elements?"

"Poison-elements?! Where?!"

Blade did a double check. He wondered why Leaf would even mention them around him, but nonetheless they weren't there. That fact brought peace of mind to Blade, especially after what happened last time he and Leaf were here. Seeing his brother panic made the younger Snivy laugh.

"Are you really scared of Poison-elements still?"

"You can't blame me. I mean… after what happened… to me… to you… to Mom."

"It's been years since that happened. We shouldn't dwell in the past so much. If we do that, then we'd be afraid of anything. Maybe you should let bygones be bygones."

_Leave it to my little brother of all people to make sense. Maybe he's right. It's been years and I'm a grown man now. I should just let bygones be by-_

*_THUMP_*

Blade's forward motion is halted by a black body of fur. The Servine is taken back behind Leaf, cowarding in the face of what he thought was a Poison-element. Leaf sighed, "Brother, it's just a Zoroark and an Audino."

"Oh."

"Hi there! Did something happen to your arm?" a soft voice asks him. Blade steps center stage in front of Leaf. He refers to the Audino right of the Zoroark. She points at his arm, "Your arm. It's a stub. Was it amputated?"

"It was cut off… by a deranged Bisharp," Blade said disappointedly, not even wanting to mention his loss against Pain.

"That's awful!" she sympathized.

"Nononono, it really is fine."

"How is fine that your arm got sliced off?" the Zoroark asked in a suspicious tone. "Did you owe this guy or something?"

"Not really… it's just that-"

"His arm will grow back," Leaf finished for him.

The Audino is more than peculiar about this Servine's disposition. "Well, I'm a nurse- I mean _doctor_\- and I don't think I remember Kaive saying anything about Servines having regenerative limbs."

"I don't remember her saying anything about that either," the Zoroark attempted at remembering.

"They do if your hidden factor is Regenerator," he stated wryly.

"Wow! I never came across a Servine who had a unique ability. Do you mind if I shadow you for a bit and take care of you?" the Audino pleaded.

"That's an odd thing to ask of someone, Kain," the Zoroark murmured.

Hearing his murmur, Kain glared at him with her piercing violet eyes, "Don't say that, Mirage! You know that this is way too good an opportunity to pass up on. I'm just curious that's all."

"I know you're curious and all, but weren't we supposed to be looking for Kite and the others?"

Blade's heart skipped at his name. _Kite? Damn, what if he died? I know I tried my damnedest to save him, but what if I miscalculated. I probably accidentally killed him. I guess I have to tell these guys in case._

"Kite's dead," Blade outright blurted.

Mirage's eyes widened, "No way?! Already? I swear I thought he'd make it."

Kain dropped to her knees. Tears well up in her eyes, "It's my fault. He must've strained his wounds and reopened them. It's my fault. If I had administered his stay just for a while longer.…"

"Yeah, Kite died around a week ago, unfortunately," Blade explained.

Spotting the abnormality in Blade's claim, Mirage quickly rectified it, "Wait? It couldn't be. We just saw Kite just a few days ago. Are you sure we're talking about the same Kite here?"

_**"Wait, what? He's alive?"**_

* * *

**Slash's Footnote:**

**These updates are becoming more and more sparadic, aren't they? Blame school! I'm pushing for these Saturday updates, but this was posted an hour after... woops. But if you didn't know. Saturday. If I have a chapter to update, I'll do it on Saturday. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! HORRAY FOR NO CENSORS! Man it just feels good to write this story as it was intended- as a very vulgar, in-your-face, violent, yet expertly crafted story. See you on the next part! :)**

**Review Replies**

**Guest: Your guess was right! Sorta. You'll see! Too bad you won't see too much of these lemons. It's a possibility.**

**Antex- The Legendary Zoroark: It's weird that it's exciting that I update AT ALL. But glad you're happy nonetheless.**

**RisingSerperior: Just what were you thinking? Izol don't love these Servines.**

**Ckbrothers: White Version is superior version... so White Forest. :v**

**The Restless Drifter: I knew from the beginning actually. I always reread reviews to get inspiration and you didn't fool me for a second cx**

**ZLAXE: I might have to steal "Aquacorde Assualt Team" from you. I didn't think of that. Good job, DJ!**


	24. Rebooted! Check it out!

_**Ello!**_

**I'm sorry to say that this story has been rebooted for those who have been enjoying the story up to this point. However, the reboot will promise to be better in every way than this story. If you want to read the reboot, then by all means please check out "Extinction of a Species"! Thanks for all of your support over the past year! Every review, follow, and favorite that I have received has been extraordinary in my motivation to continue writing. But this story just truly does not hold a good representation of my current writing. Don't worry, this is something that I have decided for myself for quite the while. I can't promise that the story won't die. I can, at least, promise that I will provide a good story for as long as it should.**

**Remember, it's "Extinction of a Species" for anyone interested. **

**With 6.6k views, 265 reviews, 39 followers, and 28 favorites... it's time to put Evolution of a Species to rest. Thanks for everything you guys! I hope you continue to read my work and enjoy it as much as I did writing it. And hey, in this way, it all had a happy ending for the gang, right? :)**


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